by Dan Mitchell | May 3, 2017 | Blogs, Economics, Tax Competition, Taxation
Seven years ago, I wrote about the “Butterfield Effect,” which is a term used to mock clueless journalists. A former reporter for the New York Times, Fox Butterfield, became a bit of a laughingstock in the 1990s for publishing a series of articles addressing the...
by Dan Mitchell | May 2, 2017 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending
Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House. In theory, that means a long-overdue opportunity to eliminate wasteful programs and cut pork-barrel spending. In reality, it mostly means business as usual. Politicians in Washington just reached a deal...
by Dan Mitchell | May 1, 2017 | Blogs, Economics, Supply Side, Taxation
In a column in today’s New York Times, Steven Rattner attacks Trump’s tax plan for being unrealistic. Since I also think the proposal isn’t very plausible, I’m not overly bothered by that message. However, Rattner tries to bolster his case by making very inaccurate...
by Dan Mitchell | Apr 30, 2017 | Blogs, Europe, Tax Competition, Tax Havens, Taxation
I like the main components of the Trump tax plan, particularly the sweeping reduction in the corporate tax rate. But, as I say at the beginning of this Fox Business interview, there’s a big difference between proposing a good idea and actually getting legislation...
by Dan Mitchell | Apr 29, 2017 | Blogs, Economics, Taxation
If I had to pick my least-favorite tax loophole, the economist part of my brain would select the healthcare exclusion. After all, that special preference creates a destructive incentive for over-insurance and contributes (along with Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare, etc)...
