Tax Policy Center
Encyclopedia
The Tax Policy Center is a non-partisan joint venture of the Urban Institute
and the Brookings Institution
. Based in Washington D.C., it aims to provide independent analyses of current and longer-term tax issues and to communicate its analyses to the public and to policymakers in a timely and accessible manner. The Center combines top national experts in tax, expenditure, budget policy, and microsimulation modeling to concentrate on four overarching areas of tax policy that are critical to future debate: fair, simple and efficient taxation, social policy in the tax code, long-term implications of tax and budget choices, and state tax issues.
, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton
administrations established the Tax Policy Center to provide unbiased analysis of tax issues. The following year TPC developed a comprehensive tax simulation model to analyze the federal income tax and proposals to change it. That model has evolved to incorporate new and additional data, changes in federal tax law, and other aspects of the tax system and the economy. The Tax Policy Center was referred to in Paul Krugman's Article, "The Social Contract" in the New York Times on September 22, 2011.
, former member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers and former acting director of the Congressional Budget Office, became the Tax Policy Center Director in May 2010. Co-Directors are William Gale, Arjay and Frances Miller Chair in Federal Economic Policy at the Brookings Institution
and Eric Toder, Institute Fellow at the Urban Institute
. The Center's TaxVox blog is spearheaded by nationally recognized tax correspondent Howard Gleckman.
TPC experts testify frequently before the United States Congress
regarding tax and health care reforms. TaxVox, the TPC blog, discusses current tax and budget issues. The Tax Policy Briefing Book is an on-line collection of short articles that explain a broad range of important tax issues. Entries offer background information, describe key elements of the tax system, propose changes to improve the tax system, and provide information on state and local tax policy. The center has also collected a wide variety of data tables in "Tax Facts," which cover many aspects of the U.S. tax system, ranging from tax rates and revenues collected to changes over time in state and local tax collections. TPC’s State and Local Finance Data Query System (SLF-DQS) provides tools with which users can create their own tables related to state and local finances based on data from the Census of Governments State and Local Finance series.
Urban Institute
The Urban Institute is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank that carries out nonpartisan economic and social policy research, collects data, evaluates social programs, educates the public on key domestic issues, and provides advice and technical assistance to developing governments abroad...
and the Brookings Institution
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C., in the United States. One of Washington's oldest think tanks, Brookings conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and...
. Based in Washington D.C., it aims to provide independent analyses of current and longer-term tax issues and to communicate its analyses to the public and to policymakers in a timely and accessible manner. The Center combines top national experts in tax, expenditure, budget policy, and microsimulation modeling to concentrate on four overarching areas of tax policy that are critical to future debate: fair, simple and efficient taxation, social policy in the tax code, long-term implications of tax and budget choices, and state tax issues.
History
In 2002, tax experts who had served in the Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
administrations established the Tax Policy Center to provide unbiased analysis of tax issues. The following year TPC developed a comprehensive tax simulation model to analyze the federal income tax and proposals to change it. That model has evolved to incorporate new and additional data, changes in federal tax law, and other aspects of the tax system and the economy. The Tax Policy Center was referred to in Paul Krugman's Article, "The Social Contract" in the New York Times on September 22, 2011.
Staff and Expertise
Donald MarronDonald B. Marron Jr.
Donald B. Marron Jr. is an American economist, professor and policy advisor and director of the nonpartisan Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center in Washington, D.C. -Work and Career:Government Service...
, former member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers and former acting director of the Congressional Budget Office, became the Tax Policy Center Director in May 2010. Co-Directors are William Gale, Arjay and Frances Miller Chair in Federal Economic Policy at the Brookings Institution
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C., in the United States. One of Washington's oldest think tanks, Brookings conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and...
and Eric Toder, Institute Fellow at the Urban Institute
Urban Institute
The Urban Institute is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank that carries out nonpartisan economic and social policy research, collects data, evaluates social programs, educates the public on key domestic issues, and provides advice and technical assistance to developing governments abroad...
. The Center's TaxVox blog is spearheaded by nationally recognized tax correspondent Howard Gleckman.
Current analyses
TPC publications examine the impacts of a variety of tax issues. A recent report outlines the presidential candidates’ tax proposals and analyzes their distributional and revenue impacts. Other studies have examined the 2001-2006 tax cuts, the alternative minimum tax, the impact of tax provisions on low-income families, and tax incentives for education. An extensive collection of tables provides estimates of the impact of current taxes as well as the implications of proposals to change tax law.TPC experts testify frequently before the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
regarding tax and health care reforms. TaxVox, the TPC blog, discusses current tax and budget issues. The Tax Policy Briefing Book is an on-line collection of short articles that explain a broad range of important tax issues. Entries offer background information, describe key elements of the tax system, propose changes to improve the tax system, and provide information on state and local tax policy. The center has also collected a wide variety of data tables in "Tax Facts," which cover many aspects of the U.S. tax system, ranging from tax rates and revenues collected to changes over time in state and local tax collections. TPC’s State and Local Finance Data Query System (SLF-DQS) provides tools with which users can create their own tables related to state and local finances based on data from the Census of Governments State and Local Finance series.