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Bush tax cuts

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The Bush-Obama tax cuts, formerly exclusively referred to as Bush tax cuts, encompasses two laws created and passed during the presidency of George W. Bush and the dominant aspect of a third law which prior to their expiration continued the application of both through the presidency of Barack Obama. The laws generally lowered tax rates and revised the code specifying taxation in the United States. By name these laws were:

While each act has its own legislative history and effect on the tax code, the JGTRRA amplified and accelerated aspects of the EGTRRA, which were then wholly adopted and continued by the TRIURJCA exclusive of the payroll tax cut initiative aspect of the last - otherwise known as the Obama tax cuts. The acts are spoken of together in terms of analyzing their effect on the U.S. economy and population and in discussing their political ramifications.

Implications for the Alternative Minimum Tax

The 2001 act and the 2003 act significantly lowered the marginal tax rates for nearly all U.S. taxpayers. One byproduct of this tax rate reduction was that it brought to prominence a previously lesser known provision of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). The AMT was originally designed as a way of making sure that wealthy taxpayers could not take advantage of "too many" tax incentives and reduce their tax obligation by too much. It is an alternate system of calculating a taxpayer's tax liability that removes many so called "tax preference items". However the applicable AMT rates were not adjusted in step with the lowered rates of the 2001 and 2003 acts, causing many more people to face higher taxes because of the AMT than had originally been planned. This reduced some of the benefit of the two acts for many upper-middle income earners, particularly those with large deductions for state and local income taxes, dependents, and property taxes.

The AMT exemption level aspects of the tax cuts, as well as the sunsetting year of capital gains and dividends, were among the tweaks made to the tax code in the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005.

Debate over effect of cuts

There was and is considerable controversy over who benefited from the tax cuts and whether or not they have been effective in spurring sufficient growth. Supporters of the proposal and proponents of lower taxes claimed that the tax cuts increased the pace of economic recovery and job creation. Further, proponents of the cuts asserted that lowering taxes on all citizens, including the rich, would benefit all and would actually pry more money from the wealthiest Americans as they would avoid tax shelters for their money. The Wall Street Journal editorial page states that taxes paid by millionaire households more than doubled from $136 billion in 2003 to $274 billion in 2006 because of the JGTRRA.

The Heritage Foundation has stated that the Bush tax cuts have led to the rich shouldering more of the income tax burden and the poor shouldering less; while the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities claims that the tax cuts have conferred the "largest benefits,by far on the highest income households." Bush was criticized for giving tax cuts to the rich with capital gains tax breaks, but some benefit extended to middle and lower income brackets as well. Bush has claimed that the tax cuts have paid for themselves but critics argue that this is false.

Some policy analysts and non-profit groups such as OMBWatch, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and the Tax Policy Center have attributed some of the rise in income inequality to the Bush administration's tax policy. In February 2007, President Bush addressed the rise of inequality for the first time, saying "The reason is clear: We have an economy that increasingly rewards education and skills because of that education."

Critics state that the tax cuts have failed to spur growth, while increasing the budget deficit, shifting the tax burden from the rich to the middle and working classes and further increasing already high levels of inequality. Economists Peter Orszag and William Gale described the Bush tax cuts as reverse government redistribution of wealth, " the burden of taxation away from upper-income, capital-owning households and toward the wage-earning households of the lower and middle classes." Supporters countered that the tax brackets were still more progressive than the brackets from 1986 until 1992, with higher marginal rates on the upper class, and lower marginal rates on the middle class than established by either the Tax Reform Act of 1986 or the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990, so any apocalyptic rhetoric was exaggerated.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the tax cuts would increase budget deficits by $60 billion in 2003 and by $340 billion by 2008. Supporters of President Bush argue that this analysis ignores the potential growth that the act could encourage. Supporters also argue that this would be further supported by analyzing the effect of the economic shock of the terrorist events of September 11, 2001. The terrorist fears, resulting reduction in travel and consumer expenditure, and increased security expenditures, they say, are a prime example of an economic cost shock, and they suggest that the recession of 2001 and 2002 would have been drastically worse had no attempts at promoting economic growth by reducing taxes been made, though there is no empirical evidence to support or disprove this claim (nor could there be). The lag between policy making and economic impact suggests the possibility to be remote, like any fiscal stimulus plan, most of which are fully enacted only when the recession is over.

Debate over possible extension of cuts

Congressional Research Service-Impact of Extension of the Bush Tax Cuts

Most of the tax cuts were scheduled to expire December 31, 2010. Debate over what to do regarding the expiration became a regular issue in the 2004 and 2008 U.S. presidential elections, with Republican candidates generally wanting the cut rates made permanent and Democratic candidates generally advocating for a retention of the lower rates for middle-class incomes but a return to Clinton-era rates for high incomes.

In August 2010, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that extending the tax cuts for the 2011-2020 time period would add $3.3 trillion to the national debt, comprised of $2.65 trillion in foregone tax revenue plus another $0.66 trillion for interest and debt service costs.

The non-partisan Pew Charitable Trusts estimated in May 2010 that extending some or all of the tax cuts would have the following impact under these scenarios:

  • Making the tax cuts permanent for all taxpayers, regardless of income, would increase the national debt $3.3 trillion over the next 10 years.
  • Limiting the extension to individuals making less than $200,000 and married couples earning less than $250,000 would increase the debt about $2.2 trillion in the next decade.
  • Extending the tax cuts for all taxpayers for only two years would cost $561 billion over the next 10 years.

The non-partisan Congressional Research Service has estimated the 10-year revenue loss from extending the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts beyond 2010 at $2.9 trillion, with an additional $606 billion in debt service costs (interest), for a combined total of $3.5 trillion.

In late July 2010, analysts at Deutsche Bank said letting the Bush tax cuts for those earning more than $250,000 expire would greatly slow economic recovery. However, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said allowing the expiration would not cause such a slowing. The Obama administration proposed keeping tax cuts for people making less than $250,000 per year. Economist Mark Zandi found that making the Bush tax cuts permanent would be the second least stimulative of several policies considered. Making the Bush tax cuts permanent would have a multiplier effect of 0.29 (compared to the highest multiplier of 1.73 for food stamps).

The issue came to a head in late 2010, during a lame-duck session of the 111th Congress.

At the "Slurpee Summit" of November 30, President Barack Obama appointed Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Office of Management and Budget chief Jack Lew to help Republicans and Democrats hammer out an agreement on extending the Bush tax cuts. All 42 Republican Senators pledged to block all legislation in the lame-duck session until the tax matter was settled.

Congressional Democrats offered two attempts to extend the Bush rates for "middle income" families but restore the previous, higher rates for "high income" people. The first proposal had a cutoff at $250,000, while the second raised the dividing line to $1 million. Both proposals were able to pass in the House, but on December 4, 2010, both fell short in the Senate, getting only 53 votes and not the 60 needed for cloture.

Extension of the cuts

Main article: Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010

On December 6, 2010, President Barack Obama announced a compromise tax package proposal had been reached, centered around a temporary, two-year extension of the tax cuts. In particular, the framework included key points such as:

  • Extending the 2001/2003 income tax rates for two years. Also, reforming the AMT to ensure an additional 21 million households will not face a tax increase. These measures are intended to provide relief to more than 100 million middle-class families and prevent an annual tax increase of over $2,000 for the typical family.
  • Additional provisions designed to promote economic growth. $56 billion in unemployment insurance, an approximate $120 billion payroll tax cut for working families, about $40 billion in tax cuts for the hardest hit families and students, and 100 percent expensing for businesses during 2011.
  • Estate tax adjustment. Rates would be 35 percent after a $5 million exemption.

Obama said, "I'm not willing to let working families across this country become collateral damage for political warfare here in Washington. And I'm not willing to let our economy slip backwards just as we're pulling ourselves out of this devastating recession. ... So, sympathetic as I am to those who prefer a fight over compromise, as much as the political wisdom may dictate fighting over solving problems, it would be the wrong thing to do. ... As for now, I believe this bipartisan plan is the right thing to do. It’s the right thing to do for jobs. It’s the right thing to do for the middle class. It is the right thing to do for business. And it’s the right thing to do for our economy. It offers us an opportunity that we need to seize."

Administration officials like Vice President Joe Biden then worked to convince wary Democratic members of Congress to accept the plan, notwithstanding a continuation of lower rates for the highest-income taxpayers. The compromise proved popular in public opinion polls, and allowed Obama to portray himself as a consensus-builder not beholden to the liberal wing of his party. The bill was opposed some of the most conservative members of the Republican Party as well as by talk radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and some groups in the Tea Party movement. It was also opposed by several leading potential candidates for the Republican nomination in the 2012 presidential election, including Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney, typically on the grounds that it did not make the Bush tax cuts permanent and that it would overall increase the national deficit.

In an interview during these debates, former President Bush argued strongly for maintaining the rates: "I do believe it's very important to send the signal to our entrepreneurs and our families that the government trusts them to spend their own money. And I happen to believe lower taxes is what stimulates economic growth and what we need now in our country is economic growth."

On December 15, the Senate passed the compromise package with an 81–19 vote, with large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans supporting it. Near midnight of December 16, the House passed it 277–148, with it getting only a modest majority among Democrats and a large majority among Republicans. Before that, an amendment put forward by Democratic Representative Earl Pomeroy and the progressives among the Democratic caucus to raise the estate tax – the ultimate sticking point of the deal for them and the cause of a minor revolt among those against it – failed on a 194–233 vote. The Washington Post called the approved deal "the most significant tax bill in nearly a decade". President Barack Obama signed the bill, dubbed the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, on December 17, 2010.

See also

References

  1. "Their Fair Share". Wall Street Journal. July 21, 2008. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121659695380368965.html
  2. Riedl, Brian M. (2007-01-29). "Ten Myths About the Bush Tax Cuts". The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved 2007-02-12.
  3. Friedman, Joel (2004-04-23). "Tax Returns: A Comprehensive Assessment of the Bush Administration's Record on Cutting Taxes". Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Retrieved 2010-07-01. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. Welch, William (2007-07-01). "Dems call for ending tax cuts for rich". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-07-19. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  5. Kogan, Richard (2006-07-27). "Claim that Tax Cuts "Pay for Themselves" is Too Good to Be True". Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Retrieved 2007-07-19. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. Income Inequality Has Intensified Under Bush
  7. Aron, Aviva (2007-01-23). "New CBO Data Show Income Inequality Continues to Widen — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities". Cbpp.org. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
  8. Rising Economic Inequality and Tax Policy
  9. Bush Addresses Income Inequality
  10. "Price, L. (October 25, 2005). The Boom That Wasn't: The economy has little to show for $860 billion in tax cuts" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-10-13.
  11. Andrews, Edmund L. (2007-01-08). "Tax Cuts Offer Most for Very Rich, Study Says". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-01-14.
  12. Justin Fox (2007-12-06). "Tax Cuts Don't Boost Revenues". Time. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  13. "Economists on Net Revenue Impact of Bush Tax Cuts. ". Retrieved 2007-11-10.
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  15. "Gale, G. W. & Orzsag, P. R. (May 4, 2005). The Great Tax Shift". Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  16. Congressional Budget Office-The Budget and Economic Outlook-August 2010-Table 1.7 on Page 24
  17. Pew Charitable Trusts-Decision Time: The Fiscal Effects of Extending the 2001 and 2003 Tax Cuts-May 2010
  18. Congressional Research Service-Thomas Hungerford-October 27, 2010
  19. "News Headlines". Cnbc.com. 2010-07-29. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
  20. Zandi, Mark. "A Second Quick Boost From Government Could Spark Recovery." Edited excerpts from congressional testimony July 24, 2008.
  21. THRUSH, GLENN (2010-11-30). "Barack Obama fields tax-talk team". The Politico. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  22. Espo, David (2010-12-01). "Senate GOP letter calls for blocking most bills". Associated Press.
  23. Simons, Meredith (2010-12-01). "GOP Senators Pledge to Block All Democratic Legislation". Slate magazine.
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  25. Herszenhorn, David M.; Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (December 7, 2010). "Democrats Skeptical of Obama on New Tax Plan". The New York Times. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  26. ^ "Fact Sheet on the Framework Agreement on Middle Class Tax Cuts and Unemployment Insurance | The White House". Whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
  27. ^ Dupree, Jamie (2010-12-09). "Tax Cuts Compromise Package Summary". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
  28. Scherer, Michael (2010-01-14). "Playing The Tax Compromise Number Game - Swampland - TIME.com". Swampland.blogs.time.com. Retrieved 2010-12-10.
  29. Jesse Lee (2010-12-07). "President Obama on Tax Cuts and Unemployment Extension: "The Right Thing to Do" | The White House". Whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  30. Hulse, Carl; Calmes, Jackie (December 7, 2010). "Biden and G.O.P. Leader Helped Hammer Out Bipartisan Tax Accord". The New York Times. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  31. ^ "Tax cut plan clears House, goes to Barack Obama - Jake Sherman". Politico.Com. 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  32. "Nation & World | Grumbling on extremes not likely to halt tax deal | Seattle Times Newspaper". Seattletimes.nwsource.com. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  33. By the CNN Wire Staff. "Obama to sign tax deal Friday afternoon". CNN.com. Retrieved 2010-12-17. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  34. Dooe, Mary (December 14, 2010). "George W. Bush: Stop Calling Them 'Bush Tax Cuts'". CBS News. Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  35. Herszenhorn, David M. "Politics | Senate OKs tax bill; House to vote Thursday | Seattle Times Newspaper". Seattletimes.nwsource.com. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  36. ^ Brian Beutler. "House Passes Tax Cut Plan, Obama To Sign | TPMDC". Tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com. Retrieved 2010-12-17. {{cite web}}: Text "December 16, 2010, 11:05PM" ignored (help)
  37. ^ Post Store. "Congress votes to extend Bush-era tax cuts until '12". Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  38. Sonmez, Felicia (2010-04-13). "44 - House resumes debate on tax-cut bill after liberal uprising". Voices.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
  39. "Tax Cuts, Unemployment Insurance and Jobs". The White House. Retrieved December 17, 2010.

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