I’m ecumenical on tax reform. I’ll support any plan that rips up the internal revenue code and instead lowers tax rates, reduces double taxation, and cuts out distorting loopholes. And as I explain in this interview, both the flat tax and national sales tax have a low…
Daily Analysis
Tax Day Fantasies
I realize this may be a thought crime by DC standards, but it sure would be nice to eliminate the high tax rates that undermine economic growth and reduce American competitiveness. At the risk of sharing too much information, I fantasize about a world without…
Are You Getting Your Money’s Worth from Washington?
Last year, I conducted an informal poll at a conference in Paris. I explained to the audience that the public sector consumed about 57 percent of the French economy and I asked them whether they got more services and better government than the people of Germany (where…
Agreeing with Leftists (Sort of) about the World’s Sixth-Largest “Tax Haven”
To put it mildly, I’m not a fan of the so-called Tax Justice Network. In a moment of typical understatement, I referred to the U.K.-based group as “…a bunch of crazy Euro-socialists.” And to give you an idea of why I don’t like them, here’s some of what I wrote about…
From Wyoming to New York: America’s Best and Worst States for Tax
Last August, I shared a fascinating map from the Tax Foundation. It showed which states have chased away taxable income and which ones have attracted more taxpayers (along with their taxable income). In other words, what are the “Golden Geese” doing with their money?…
Support the VAT…if You Oppose Entitlement Reform and Want More spending and More Debt
I’m a supporter of a single-rate tax regime, especially if there’s no double taxation of income that is saved and invested. That’s why I like the flat tax. But I’ve expressed concern about the national sales tax, even though it’s basically the same as a flat tax (the…
Greetings from Obamaland…Oops, I Mean Greece
As much as I condemn American politicians for bad policy, things could be worse. We could be Greek citizens, which would be very depressing. Indeed, you’ll understand why I put Obamaland in the title after you read today’s column. Simply stated, Greece is a cesspool…
From France to New Jersey, High Tax Rates and Class Warfare Are Economic Poison
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, there was a widespread consensus that high tax rates were economically misguided. Many Democrats, for instance, supported the 1986 Tax Reform Act that lowered the top tax rate from 50 percent to 28 percent (albeit offset by increased…
Bill Gates Is Half-Right about Tax Reform
I generally get very suspicious when rich people start pontificating on tax policy. People like Warren Buffett, for instance, sometimes advocate higher taxes because they’re trying to curry favor with the political elite. Or maybe they feel compelled to say silly…
Sweden, Spending Restraint, and the Benefits of Obeying Fiscal Policy’s Golden Rule
When I first started working on fiscal policy in the 1980s, I never thought I would consider Sweden any sort of role model. It was the quintessential cradle-to-grave welfare state, much loved on the left as an example for America to follow. But Sweden suffered a…