Congressional Research Service Reports - 531 Matching Results

Search Results

prev Results: 51 - 100 next
Extending the 2001, 2003, and 2004 Tax Cuts
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 future.
Internet Commerce and State Sales and Use Taxes
State governments rely on sales and use taxes for approximately one-third (33.6%) of their total tax revenue - or approximately $179 billion in FY2002 .' Local governments derived 12.4% of their tax revenue or $44 .1 billion from local sales and use taxes in FY20012 Both state and local sales taxes are collected by vendors at the time of transaction and are levied at a percentage of a product's retail price. Alternatively, use taxes are not collected by the vendor if the vendor does not have nexus (loosely defined as a physical presence) in the consumer's state . Consumers are required to remit use taxes to their taxing jurisdiction . However, compliance with this requirement is quite low. Because of the low compliance, many observers suggest that the expansion of the internet as a means of transacting business across state lines, both from business to consumer (B to C) and from business to business (B to B), threatens to diminish the ability of state and local governments to collect sales and use taxes . Congress has a role in this issue because commerce between parties in different states conducted over the Internet falls under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution.' Congress can either take an active or passive role in the "Internet tax" debate. This report intends to clarify important issues in the Internet tax debate .
Internet Commerce and State Sales and Use Taxes
In theory, state sales and use taxes are based on the destination principle, which prescribes that taxes should be paid where the consumption takes place. States are concerned because they anticipate gradually losing more tax revenue as the growth of Internet commerce allows more residents to buy products from vendors located out-of-state and evade use taxes. The size of the revenue loss from Internet commerce and subsequent tax evasion is uncertain. Congress is involved in this issue because commerce conducted by parties in different states over the Internet falls under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. The degree of congressional involvement is an open question.
Internet Commerce and State Sales and Use Taxes
State governments rely on sales and use taxes for approximately one-third (32.3%) of their total tax revenue – or approximately $174 billion in FY2000. Local governments derived 16.4% of their tax revenue or $51.6 billion from local sales and use taxes in FY1999. Both state and local sales taxes are collected by vendors at the time of transaction and are levied at a percentage of a product’s retail price. Alternatively, use taxes are not collected by vendors if they do not have nexus (loosely defined as a physical presence) in the consumer’s state. Consumers are required to remit use taxes to their taxing jurisdiction. However, compliance with this requirement is quite low. Because of the low compliance, many observers suggest that the expansion of the internet as a means of transacting business across state lines, both from business to consumer (B to C) and from business to business (B to B), threatens to diminish the ability of state and local governments to collect sales and use taxes. Congress has a role in this issue because commerce between parties in different states conducted over the Internet falls under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. Congress can either take an active or passive role in the “Internet tax” debate. This report intends to clarify important issues in the Internet tax debate.
State and Local Sales and Use Taxes and Internet Commerce
No Description Available.
A History of Federal Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping Taxes
Three primary categories of legislation pertaining to transfer taxes have been introduced in the 110th Congress. As noted above, the repeal of the estate and generation-skipping taxes is not permanent. One category would make the repeal permanent. (See, H.R. 411 and H.R. 2380). Another category would accelerate the repeal of these transfer taxes. (See, H.R. 25, H.R. 1040, H.R. 1586, H.R. 4042, S. 1025, S. 1040, and S. 1081). The third would reinstate these taxes at lower rates and/or in a manner more considerate of family-owned business. (See, H.R. 1928, H.R. 3170, H.R. 3475, H.R. 4172, H.R. 4235, H.R. 4242, and S. 1994). In this report, the history of the federal transfer taxes has been divided into four parts: (1) the federal death and gift taxes used between 1789 and 1915; (2) the development, from 1916 through 1975, of the modern estate and gift taxes; (3) the creation and refinement of a unified estate and gift tax system, supplemented by a generation-skipping transfer tax; and (4) the phaseout and repeal of the estate and generation-skipping taxes, with the gift tax being retained as a device to protect the integrity of the income tax.
State and Local Sales and Use Taxes and Internet Commerce
In theory, state sales and use taxes are consumption taxes based on the destination principle. The destination principle prescribes that taxes should be paid where the consumption takes place. Sales taxes collected at the point of sale achieve this if consumption takes place near the point of transaction. Thus, to remain consistent with the destination principle, consumers pay a use tax on products purchased out-of-state and used in their home state where consumption likely takes place.
State and Local Sales and Use Taxes and Internet Commerce
In theory, state sales and use taxes are based on the destination principle, which prescribes that taxes should be paid where the consumption takes place. States are concerned because they anticipate gradually losing more tax revenue as the growth of Internet commerce allows more residents to buy products from vendors located out-of-state and evade use taxes. The size of the revenue loss from Internet commerce and subsequent tax evasion is uncertain. Congress is involved in this issue because commerce conducted by parties in different states over the Internet falls under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. The degree of congressional involvement is an open question.
The Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement: A Brief Description
No Description Available.
The Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement: A Brief Description
No Description Available.
Internet Taxation: Issues and Legislation
The Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) placed a three-year moratorium on the ability of state and local governments to (1) impose new taxes on Internet access or (2) impose any multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce. The act grandfathered the state and local access taxes that were “... generally imposed and actually enforced prior to October 1, 1998 ....” This report discusses issues of state and local taxation of Internet transactions because commerce conducted by parties in different states over the Internet.
Additional Standard Tax Deduction for the Blind: A Description and Assessment
This report covers the history, reasoning, and current policy that surrounds tax deductions for the blind. Moreover, the report highlights the current policy (as of May 7th 2008) as one that recognizes the higher cost of living for a blind person because many blind taxpayers have low incomes. However, the report points out that because of this many of them have access to an additional deduction for being in a lower income bracket.
Agriculture in the Next Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations
This report discusses the objective of agricultural negotiations in the World Trade Organizations (WTO) in 2001 to create trade reform. The Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture (URAA) established a new set of rules for the conduct of agricultural trade that the report also considers.
Federal Deductibility of State and Local Taxes
This report addresses the potential impact of changing the status of federal deductibility on state and local government tax systems, individual taxpayers, and the federal budget.
Energy Tax Policy
This report brief discusses the history, current posture, and outlook for federal energy tax policy.
Major Tax Issues in the 106th Congress: A Summary
Taxes have been a major focus of congressional attention during the first half of 2000. In part, Congress has returned to many of the issues it addressed last year. In August, 1999, Congress passed a set of tax cuts with the Taxpayer Refund and Relief Act (H.R. 2488; TRRA). However, President Clinton vetoed the bill, arguing that the cuts were too large (an estimated $792 billion over 10 years), would drain funds from Social Security surpluses, and would force reductions in domestic spending. Early in 2000, Congress signaled its intention of revisiting tax cuts with passage on April 13 of a fiscal year (FY) 2001 budget resolution (H.Con.Res. 290) calling for a 5-year tax cut of $175 billion.
Recent Tax Changes Affecting Installment Sales
On December 17, 1999, President Clinton signed the Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 (H.R. 1180; P.L. 106-170). This Act contained revenue provisions extending several popular tax benefits such as the work opportunity tax credit, the welfare to work tax credit, and the applicability of the nonrefundable personal tax credits to the individual alternative minimum tax. To pay for the extension of these tax benefits the Act also included several tax changes that increased revenue. Among these revenue offset provisions was a modification and limitation on the use of the installment method of reporting asset sales for taxpayers who normally use the accrual method of accounting.
Major Tax Issues in the 107th Congress
Tax cuts have been one of the principal issues Congress has addressed in the first part of 2001. In part, this issue continues a debate that occurred through 1999 and 2000, as the federal budget began to register surpluses for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Across-the-Board Tax Cuts: Economic Issues
This report examines economic issues relating to across-the-board tax cuts, focusing primarily on distributional issues. The report is divided into four sections. The first section provides a general overview of the tax system. The next discusses recent proposals relating to across-the-board tax cuts. The third section discusses methods of evaluating alternative types of across-the-board tax cuts. The final section briefly discusses issues of efficiency, simplicity, and stabilization policy.
The Marriage Tax Penalty: An Overview of the Issues
No Description Available.
Major Tax Issues in the 107th Congress
No Description Available.
Across-the-Board Tax Cuts: Economic Issues
This report examines economic issues relating to across-the-board tax cuts, focusing primarily on distributional issues. The report is divided into four sections. The first section provides a general overview of the tax system. The next discusses recent proposals relating to across-the-board tax cuts. The third section discusses methods of evaluating alternative types of across-the-board tax cuts. The final section briefly discusses issues of efficiency, simplicity, and stabilization policy.
H.R. 8: The Death Tax Elimination Act of 2001
No Description Available.
Major Tax Issues in the 106th Congress: A Summary
No Description Available.
Recent Trends in the Federal Tax Burden
No Description Available.
The Marriage Tax Penalty: An Overview of the Issues
No Description Available.
The Marriage Tax Penalty: An Overview of the Issues
No Description Available.
Marriage Tax Penalties: Legislative Proposals in the 106th Congress
No Description Available.
Major Tax Issues in the 108th Congress
No Description Available.
Major Tax Issues in the 108th Congress
No Description Available.
Major Tax Issues in the 109th Congress
Congress considered a variety of tax issues over the course of 2004. Some of these were relatively narrow, applying to particular sectors or activities: energy taxation, charitable giving and charities, Internet taxation, tax shelters, and a variety of expiring tax benefits that apply to particular investments or activities. More prominent, however, were two more general issues that were the focus of tax policy deliberations for much of the year: domestic and international business taxation; and the extension of temporary tax cuts for individuals that were initially enacted in 2001 and in 2003.
The Potential Distributional Effects of the Alternative Minimum Tax
No Description Available.
The Alternative Minimum Tax for Individuals: Legislative Initiatives and Their Revenue Effects
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.
The Alternative Minimum Tax for Individuals
This report provides a brief overview of the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for individuals, discusses the issues associated with the current system, and describes current legislation to amend the AMT. The report will be updated as legislative action warrants.
The Alternative Minimum Tax for Individuals
This report provides a brief overview of the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for individuals, discusses the issues associated with the current system, and describes current legislation to amend the AMT. The report will be updated as legislative action warrants.
The Alternative Minimum Tax for Individuals
This report provides a brief overview of the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for individuals, discusses the issues associated with the current system, and describes current legislation to amend the AMT. The report will be updated as legislative action warrants.
The Alternative Minimum Tax for Individuals
This report provides a brief overview of the alternative minimum tax (AMT) for individuals, discusses the issues associated with the current system, and describes current legislation to amend the AMT. The report will be updated as legislative action warrants.
2001 Tax Cut: Description, Analysis, and Background
A major tax cut, H.R. 1836, was enacted in June 2001, but contained sunsetted provisions. The House will consider, the week of April 15, making those tax provisions permanent. This report summarizes the provisions of the bill, analyzes effects, and considers the development of the legislation.
2001 Tax Cut: Description, Analysis, and Background
A major tax cut, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA), was enacted in June 2001. This report summarizes the provisions of the bill, analyzes effects, and considers the development of the legislation.
Major Tax Issues in the 107th Congress
No Description Available.
Major Tax Issues in the 107th Congress
No Description Available.
Major Tax Issues in the 107th Congress
No Description Available.
Major Tax Issues in the 107th Congress
No Description Available.
Major Tax Issues in the 107th Congress
No Description Available.
Taxes and Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Reconciliation: A Brief Summary
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.
The Alternative Minimum Tax for Individuals: Legislative Initiatives and Their Revenue Effects
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.
The Alternative Minimum Tax for Individuals: Legislative Initiatives and Their Revenue Effects
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.
Taxes and Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Reconciliation: A Brief Summary
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.
Federal Income Tax Thresholds for Selected Years: 1996 through 2006
No Description Available.
Major Tax Issues in the 107th Congress
No Description Available.
Back to Top of Screen