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Estate and Gift Taxes: Economic Issues

Description: The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA, P.L. 107-16) repeals the estate tax in 2010. During the phase-out period, the new law increases the exempt amount to $3.5 million by 2009 ($1.5 million in 2005), lowers the top rate to 45% by 2007 (the top rate in 2005 is 47%), and repeals the federal credit for state death taxes in 2005. The federal gift tax remains though the rate is reduced to the top personal income tax rate (35% in 2005). After repeal of the estate tax,… more
Date: January 19, 2006
Creator: Gravelle, Jane G. & Maguire, Steven
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Tax Reform Act of 1986: Public Law 99-514

Description: "This Info Pack includes a summary of the [Tax Reform Act of 1986] and provides information on the following topics: general provisions affecting individuals, treatment of real estate and second homes, retirement savings provisions and pensions, [and] corporate tax change overview" (p. 1).
Date: October 22, 1986
Creator: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Crude Oil Windfall Profit Tax Act: Context and Content

Description: Debate over natural gas pricing has included the consideration of a windfall profit tax, with the oil windfall profit tax as a possible guide to what might be levied on natural gas at the wellhead. This report reviews the issues surrounding the enactment of the crude oil windfall profit tax, spells out its provisions, and provides data on the revenues collected and anticipated.
Date: December 17, 1981
Creator: Gelb, Bernard A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Internal Revenue Service's Use of Private Debt Collection Agencies: Current Status and Issues for Congress

Description: Under the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (AJCA, P.L. 108-357), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has acquired for the second time in its history the legal authority to hire private debt collection agencies (PCAs) to assist in the collection of certain individual tax debt. The grant of authority grew out of a proposal made by the Bush Administration in its budget request for the IRS in both FY2004 and FY2005. This report focuses on IRS’s current plan for hiring PCAs to collect delinquent in… more
Date: January 11, 2006
Creator: Guenther, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Taxes and Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Reconciliation: A Brief Summary

Description: On April 28, 2005, Congress approved an FY2006 budget resolution (H.Con.Res. 95) with reconciliation instructions calling for three bills: a bill containing spending cuts ($1.5 billion in FY2006 and $34.7 billion over five years); a bill increasing the public debt limit by $781 billion (to $8,965 billion); and a bill containing tax cuts.
Date: December 8, 2005
Creator: Brumbaugh, David L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Higher Education Tax Credits: An Economic Analysis

Description: This report provides analysis of the education tax credit program in the context of issues facing Congress in regard to higher education. This report begins with a review of the economic rationale for subsidizing education, then describes federal subsidies for education in general and the education tax credits in particular. An analysis of the education credits follows and the report concludes with a discussion of education tax credit policy options.
Date: January 17, 2006
Creator: Jackson, Pamela J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)

Description: Recent changes in the Nation's tax laws have made Individual Retirement Accounts available to many people previously excluded. This report provides general information on IRAs including material explaining these recent changes and their consequences.
Date: June 28, 1983
Creator: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Alternative Minimum Tax for Individuals: Legislative Initiatives and Their Revenue Effects

Description: This report discusses legislative initiatives regarding the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for individuals, which was originally enacted to ensure that all taxpayers, especially high-income taxpayers, paid at least a minimum amount of federal taxes.
Date: November 25, 2005
Creator: Esenwein, Gregg A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Extending the 2001, 2003, and 2004 Tax Cuts

Description: This report discusses the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (JGTRRA, and the Working Family Tax Relief Act of 2004 (WFTRA). Since all of the tax reductions provisions of all three of these acts expire at some point in the future, Congress faces the issue of whether to extend and/or make the reductions permanent. Extending these tax reductions, however, is likely to significantly reduce federal revenues in the fu… more
Date: November 25, 2005
Creator: Esenwein, Gregg A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Taxes and Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Reconciliation: A Brief Summary

Description: On April 28, 2005, Congress approved an FY2006 budget resolution (H.Con.Res.95) with reconciliation instructions calling for three bills: a bill containing spending cuts ($1.5 billion in FY2006 and $34.7 billion over five years); a bill increasing the public debt limit by $781 billion (to $8,965 billion); and a bill containing tax cuts.
Date: November 16, 2005
Creator: Brumbaugh, David L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): Percentage of Total Tax Returns and Credit Amount by State

Description: The earned income tax credit (EITC), established in the tax code in 1975, offers cash aid to working parents with relatively low incomes who care for dependent children. The EITC is the only federal cash aid available to all working poor families with children. For eligible filers with income tax liability, the EITC reduces their taxes.
Date: November 4, 2005
Creator: Scott, Christine
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Homeland Security: 9/11 Victim Relief Funds

Description: In the first days following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, an unprecedented number of Americans contributed over $2.7 billion in donations to assist in the relief of victims. According to a 2004 Rand Corporation study, that money amounted to only a modest share (7%) of the $38.1 billion “quantified benefits” provided to victims of the terrorist attacks. The Rand Study reported that payments worth $19.6 billion (51%) were disbursed by insurers and $15.8 billion (42%) were disbursed… more
Date: December 10, 2004
Creator: Wolfe, M. Ann
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Tax Benefits Enacted in the 108th Congress for Military Personnel

Description: The Military Families Tax Relief Act (MFTRA) contains several provisions that: 1) increase the death gratuity payment and make it fully tax-exempt; 2) provide members of the military with extended time to defer capital gains resulting from the sale of their principal residences; 3) exempt from income benefits received from the Department of Defense Homeowners Assistance Program; 4) expand combat zone filing rules to include military personnel involved in contingency operations; 5) extend the cr… more
Date: November 17, 2004
Creator: Jackson, Pamela J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: Raising or Eliminating the Taxable Earnings Base

Description: Social Security taxes are levied on earnings up to a maximum level set each year. In 2004, this maximum — or what is referred to as the taxable earnings base — is $87,900. There is no similar base for the Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) portion of the tax; all earnings are taxable for HI purposes. Elimination of the HI base was proposed by President Clinton and enacted in 1993, effectively beginning in 1994. Recently others have proposed that the base for Social Security be raised or eliminate… more
Date: January 20, 2004
Creator: Haltzel, Laura
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Estate Taxes and Family Businesses: Economic Issues

Description: The 2001 tax revision began a phaseout of the estate tax, by increasing exemptions and lowering rates. The estate tax is scheduled to be repealed in 2010 and a provision to tax appreciation on inherited assets (in excess of a limit) will be substituted. The 2001 tax provisions sunset, however, so that absent a change making them permanent the estate tax will revert, in 2011, to prior, pre-2001, law.
Date: September 8, 2005
Creator: Gravelle, Jane G. & Maguire, Steven
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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