Congressional Research Service Reports - 234 Matching Results

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Overview of the Federal Tax System

Description: The major sources of federal tax revenue are individual income taxes, Social Security and other payroll taxes, corporate income taxes, excise taxes, and estate and gift taxes. This report describes the federal tax structure, provides some statistics on the tax system as a whole, and presents analysis of selected tax concepts.
Date: November 21, 2014
Creator: Sherlock, Molly F. & Marples, Donald J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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"Amazon Laws" and Taxation of Internet Sales: Constitutional Analysis

Description: As more purchases are made over the Internet, states are looking for new ways to collect taxes on online sales. There is a common misperception that the U.S. Constitution prohibits states from taxing Internet sales. This report discusses "Amazon laws", which try to capture uncollected taxes on Internet sales and yet still comply with the Constitution's requirements.
Date: November 28, 2014
Creator: Lunder, Erika K. & Pettit, Carol A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Corporate Income Tax System: Overview and Options for Reform

Description: This report presents information and research on the corporate tax to help policy makers understand and evaluate arguments presented in the tax reform debate. This report first reviews the structure of the corporate income tax. Data on which companies pay the corporate tax, corporate tax revenue, and how the U.S. system compares to the rest of the world are then presented and analyzed. Next, the economic effects of the corporate tax are reviewed--including a discussion of the purpose of the cor… more
Date: December 1, 2014
Creator: Keightley, Mark P. & Sherlock, Molly F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Taxation of Internet Sales and Access: Legal Issues

Description: This report first looks at the Constitution's requirement of nexus, including an examination of whether recent state laws comply with the nexus standard and federal legislation that would affect the standard. It then looks at the scope of the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA) moratorium on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce and taxes on Internet access.
Date: December 1, 2014
Creator: Lunder, Erika K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. International Corporate Taxation: Basic Concepts and Policy Issues

Description: This report provides a general introduction to the basic concepts and issues relevant to the U.S. international corporate tax system. The explanations provided in this report emphasize the underlying concepts of the international tax system and are intended to be as simplified as possible.
Date: December 2, 2014
Creator: Keightley, Mark P. & Stupak, Jeffrey M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): An Overview

Description: The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit available to eligible workers earning relatively low wages. This report provides an overview of the EITC, first discussing eligibility requirements for the credit, followed by how the credit is computed and paid. The report then provides data on the growth of the EITC since it was first enacted in 1975. Finally the report concludes with data on the EITC claimed on 2012 tax returns, examining EITC claims by number of qualifying child… more
Date: December 3, 2014
Creator: Falk, Gene & Crandall-Hollick, Margot L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Addressing the Long-Run Budget Deficit: A Comparison of Approaches

Description: The growth of the national debt, which is considered unsustainable under current policies, continues to be one of the central issues of domestic federal policy making. On August 2, 2011, Congress adopted, and the President signed, the Budget Control Act (BCA; P.L. 112-25), which might be viewed as an initial step in addressing long-run debt issues. This report examines alternative approaches to reducing the deficit, relating to the immediate issues arising from the BCA and the extended tax cuts… more
Date: December 9, 2014
Creator: Gravelle, Jane G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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PILT (Payments in Lieu of Taxes): Somewhat Simplified

Description: This report explains Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT), with an analysis of the five major factors affecting the calculation of a payment to a given county. It also describes the effects of certain legislative changes to PILT in recent years.
Date: December 10, 2014
Creator: Corn, M. Lynne
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

PILT (Payments in Lieu of Taxes): Somewhat Simplified

Description: This report explains Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT), with an analysis of the five major factors affecting the calculation of a payment to a given county. It also describes the effects of recent legislative changes to PILT.
Date: December 10, 2014
Creator: Corn, M. Lynne
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Constitutional Authorities Under Which Congress Regulates State Taxation

Description: This report discusses these authorities and several of the possible limitations. It also provides examples of where Congress has appeared to act under each authority.
Date: January 2, 2015
Creator: Lunder, Erika K. & Thomas, Kenneth R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Tax Havens: International Tax Avoidance and Evasion

Description: The first section of this report reviews what countries might be considered tax havens, including a discussion of the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) initiatives and lists. The next two sections discuss, in turn, the corporate profit-shifting mechanisms and evidence on the existence and magnitude of profit-shifting activity. The following two sections provide the same analysis for individual tax evasion. The report concludes with overviews of alternative policy opti… more
Date: January 15, 2015
Creator: Gravelle, Jane G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Dynamic Scoring

Description: This report explains dynamic scoring, including the types of effects incorporated and the types of models used, as well as what groups conduct or have conducted macroeconomic analysis of tax changes.
Date: January 21, 2015
Creator: Gravelle, Jane G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Dependent Care: Current Tax Benefits and Legislative Issues

Description: This report discusses current tax treatment of dependent care expenses under those two provisions and options for changing those policies. Two income tax provisions help taxpayers pay for the costs of caring for children and older dependents who cannot care for themselves.
Date: February 4, 2015
Creator: Meyerson, Noah P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Tax Provisions that Expired in 2014 ("Tax Extenders")

Description: This report provides a broad overview of the tax extenders that retroactively extend expired tax provisions, including the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014, which made tax provisions that had expired at the end of 2013 available to taxpayers for the 2014 tax year.
Date: February 6, 2015
Creator: Sherlock, Molly F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Tax-Preferred College Savings Plans: An Introduction to 529 Plans

Description: This report provides an overview of the mechanics of 529 plans and examines the specific tax advantages of these plans for those families saving for college.
Date: February 23, 2015
Creator: Crandall-Hollick, Margot L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Research Tax Credit: Current Law and Policy Issues for the 114th Congress

Description: This report describes the current status of the research tax credit, summarizes its legislative history, discusses policy issues it raises, and describes legislation to modify and extend it.
Date: March 13, 2015
Creator: Guenther, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Energy Tax Incentives: Measuring Value Across Different Types of Energy Resources

Description: This report presents a comparison of the cost of tax incentives associated with fossil and renewable energy resources, relative to amount of energy produced using each type of resource. The report also reviews other analyses that compare the cost of energy tax incentives relative to production, across different types of energy technologies.
Date: March 19, 2015
Creator: Sherlock, Molly F. & Stupak, Jeffrey M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Research Tax Credit: Current Law and Policy Issues for the 114th Congress

Description: Technological innovation is a primary engine of long-term economic growth, and research and development (R&D) serves as the lifeblood of innovation. The federal government encourages businesses to invest more in R&D than they otherwise would in several ways, including a tax credit for increases in spending on qualified research above a base amount. This report describes the current status of the credit, summarizes its legislative history, discusses policy issues it raises, and describes legisla… more
Date: May 22, 2015
Creator: Guenther, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): An Economic Analysis

Description: This report discusses the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which is a refundable tax credit available to eligible workers earning relatively low wages
Date: June 2, 2015
Creator: Crandall-Hollick, Margot L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Internet Tax Freedom Act: In Brief

Description: This report discusses the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA; P.L. 105-277), which enacted in 1998, implemented a three-year moratorium preventing state and local governments from taxing Internet access, or imposing multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
Date: June 11, 2015
Creator: Stupak, Jeffrey M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Tax Reform in the 114th Congress: An Overview of Proposals

Description: This report provides background information regarding tax reform and discusses ways to make the U.S. tax system simpler, fairer, and more efficient.
Date: July 9, 2015
Creator: Sherlock, Molly F. & Keightley, Mark P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

PILT (Payments in Lieu of Taxes): Somewhat Simplified

Description: This report explains Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT), with an analysis of the five major factors affecting the calculation of a payment to a given county. It also describes the effects of recent legislative changes to PILT.
Date: July 27, 2015
Creator: Corn, M. Lynne
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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