What Would It Take to Replace the Pay Working-Class Americans Have Lost?

This NY Times piece discusses an increase in EITC benefits and whether it help the imbalance of wealth in America. The piece is particularly interesting because it discusses not only the economics of what this would mean but also the politics of the situation.



http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/09/upshot/what-would-it-take-to-replace-the-pay-working-class-americans-have-lost.html?_r=0

As Soda Taxes Gain Wider Acceptance, Your Bottle May Be Next

This article from the NY Times on Sunday discusses the potential for a soda tax to spread to more cities in the US. It talks specifically about Philadelphia and how the tax money raised was earmarked for universal pre-K as we have discussed in class.  It also touches on whether the soda tax is in fact regressive or not.  Overall really interesting  piece with direct relevance to what we have been learning.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/26/well/eat/as-soda-taxes-gain-wider-acceptance-your-bottle-may-be-next.html?_r=0

By picking Tom Price to lead HHS, Trump shows he’s absolutely serious about dismantling Obamacare

This article goes through the incoming head of HHS, Tom price's detailed plan to dismantle Obamacare.  Notably, but not limited to, allowing for tax credits based solely on age, not income and allowing insurance companies to ramp up rates for people who have a lapse in their coverage,

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/29/by-picking-tom-price-to-lead-hhs-trump-shows-hes-absolutely-serious-about-dismantling-obamacare.html

Trump Tax Plan Could Impact 2016 Year-End Planning

This article from Forbes lays out five key aspects of Trump's tax plan (as much as it can be called one) that may affect people's end of year financial planning. It notes; individual rat cuts, business tax cuts, overseas profits, top earners vs. bottom ones and elimination of the so-called Death Tax.  All of these have controversial aspects if not outright controversial in and of themselves. We should be keeping a close eye on who Trump appoints and his first 100 days to see how this begins to play out.


http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2016/11/14/trump-tax-plan-could-impact-2016-year-end-planning/#24696585530d

How this election will affect your state taxes

With so much of the focus on the national election this article interestingly focuses on the effect of elections on state taxes, with a focus on five state level tax issues that will be voted on.

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/07/how-this-election-will-affect-your-state-taxes.html

Donald Trump Used Legally Dubious Method to Avoid Paying Taxes

Trump is so beyond the pale in almost every way and this whole situation with his taxes, while unlikely to outpace Hillary's emails in the news, continues to grow more and more fascinating.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/01/us/politics/donald-trump-tax.html

Bursting the Limits to Growth

I believe it is important and helpful to understanding issues to look at them from perspectives that may not be your own.  In that tradition here is a short op-ed from the Washington Times claiming that tax cuts will stimulate the economy by leading to job growth.  It discusses how tax models do not take into account human factor and motivation which may be partially true.  However the piece is short on specifics and mostly seems based on tired rhetoric.  Either way, worth a brief read.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/24/tax-cus-key-to-reviving-economy/

Warren Buffett to Trump: 'I have paid federal income tax every year since 1944'

This article does not go in depth about what it means for Trump to defer his losses, something we have also not explicitly covered in class yet either, however it is about federal taxes as a whole and just too good to pass up posting. Warren Buffett does the simple thing of releasing his taxes to debunk Trump's claims about him made during the last debate. In describing Buffett's taxes though the article does go into some of the intricacies of charitable giving something I believe we will be covering in the future.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/10/10/pf/taxes/warren-buffett-trump-taxes/

A Value Added Tax (VAT) is Not a Trade Barrier

Interesting new opinion piece in the Christian Science Monitor arguing that a VAT tax does not give Mexican businesses an advantage over their American counterparts.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Tax-VOX/2016/1003/A-value-added-tax-VAT-is-not-a-trade-barrier

The Trump Campaign Tried to Make a Serious Economic Argument. It Is a Very, Very Stupid Rabbit Hole.

This is an interesting piece in Slate that seemed especially appropriate to look at given the presidential debate last night.  The whole piece deals with Trumps most detailed economic tax plant to date. The part which I was particularly drawn to, given what we have covered in class, was towards the end when a VAT tax was discussed in relation to trade.

Concluding on the issue with two salient points that go back to who ultimately is burdened by a tax where the author, Jordan Weissman writes, " First, nobody actually thinks that companies pass on the corporate tax to shoppers. Instead, shareholders and workers eat it in the form of lower pay and wages. Second, because our tax code is shot through with holes and companies are good at stashing money abroad, corporations don't typically pay the full statutory rate on their profits."

http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2016/09/26/donald_trump_s_economic_plan_is_still_god_awful.html

Indonesia Plans to Bill Google For Back Taxes and Fines

This is an article from the Wall Street Journal published on September 19th about back taxes that Google may owe the Indonesian government. The article specifically cites, "Income and value-added taxes on the profit that it (Google) earned from Indonesian advertisers last year."

http://www.wsj.com/articles/indonesia-plans-to-bill-google-for-back-taxes-and-fines-1474297142

How Uber Drivers Decide How Long to Work

Interesting article in the New York Times on when Uber drivers choose to work and what this says on a larger scale about humans rationality and whether they are economically efficient.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/05/business/economy/how-uber-drivers-decide-how-long-to-work.html?_r=0