Taxing Ourselves: A Citizen's Guide to the Great Debate over Tax Reform [Hardcover]

Joel Slemrod (Author), Jon M. Bakija (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1996

Who should pay taxes, how should they be collected, and how do they affect the economy? Should the income tax be tinkered with, replaced with a flat tax or left alone? Here, Joel Slemrod and Jon Bakija bring together all of the data, analytical insight and related material bearing on tax reform to explore the fundamental questions and choices inherent in tax policymaking. "Taxing Ourselves" begins with a concise overview of the US tax system as it exists in the 1990s, offering historical and international perspectives on taxation. It examines the criteria that should serve as guides for tax policy - fairness, the promotion of economic prosperity, and simplicity - and explores the controversies and difficulties related to each one. Crucial questions about how the burden of our tax system is actually distributed and the economic effects of taxation are addressed. Slemrod and Bakija review the key elements of fundamental tax reform proposals, including a single rate, a clean base, and a consumption case. Finally they take a detailed look at the major alternatives for tax reform, providing concise guidelines that will make clear the choices involved in tax policy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Cutting through the academic jargon, the authors ...explore the fundamental questions and choices inherent in tax policymaking."
— Boston Sunday Globe



Praise for the first edition

"Taxing Ourselves is one of the best books on taxation I have ever read."
—Bruce Bartlett, Wall Street Journal

"For anybody interested in tax reform, yet confused by political polemic, Taxing Ourselves is an invaluable guide to the debate."
—The Economist --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Joel Slemrod is Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy, Professor of Economics, and Director of the Office of Tax Policy Research at the University of Michigan. Jon Bakija is a graduate student in economics, also at the University of Michigan.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 299 pages
• Publisher: Mit Pr (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262193752
• ISBN-13: 978-0262193757
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,521,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 'User-friendly' tour of tax reform, December 2, 1997

By 

D. Brady (Santa Cruz, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Taxing Ourselves: A Citizen's Guide to the Great Debate over Tax Reform (Hardcover)

This slender volume is a readable and entertaining survey of the woes of the current income tax system and of a variety of tax reform proposals intended to replace the current system. The section of the book that discusses the tax system's effect on labor supply, saving & investment, incentive to work, international competiveness, and other economic 'macro' effects, is especially insightful. The authors conclude (probably correctly) that the tax system's effect on these things is probably marginal, and, in any event, difficult to measure empirically. Therefore, any tax reform that promises 'economic nirvana' should be taken with a grain of salt. The authors suggest, without endorsement, that the hallmarks of any new (or improved) tax system should be simplicity, enforcability, and revenue- raising efficiency; the last denotes the absence of 'social tinkering' through the tax system. Unfortunately, the authors note that all of the various tax reform proposals being floated by politicians suffer severe political defects. A national sales tax would be difficult to enforce (that's probably correct); a broad-based value added tax (VAT) would be highly regressive; the 'flat tax' (wage tax) would be less progressive than the current income tax; and the consumed income tax (consumption tax) would be more complicated than the current income tax (that's probably not correct, and the authors do not explain this assertion well). These are principally political impediments to reform- the authors suggest that it will take an act of political courage by Congress or the president to make any progress on the tax reform front. That's clearly correct, but don't hold your breath.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to know about tax reform, read this book., April 23, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Taxing Ourselves: A Citizen's Guide to the Great Debate over Tax Reform (Hardcover)

Tax reform isn't usually one of those topics that gets people excited -- most people view it the same way George Bush looks at broccoli. But Slemrod and Bakija do a great job of making it interesting and explaining complex ideas in simple language. If you want to know how Steve Forbes' flat tax will hit your wallet or how much the current income tax system stymies growth, this is the book for you. Simply, it is a great, great place to start to learn about tax reform. It's as good as it gets on the topic

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on complex topic!, July 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Taxing Ourselves: A Citizen's Guide to the Great Debate over Tax Reform (Paperback)

This is a really great and readable text on what is often a challenging topic. The authors really have provided some insightful analysis on what is always a timely topic. I learned a tremendous amount and easily made my way through the flowing prose. I suggest this book for anyone interested in taxation and also for those of us who are simply "tax curious". This is a particularly relevant book given the upcoming elections!