“I trace the inequality to a particular set of decisions that we took when we lowered the tax rate from 91% down to very low levels at the top, where we stripped away regulations. So the result of that was not a more dynamic economy, but a more unequal society. We tried the experiment of trickle-down. A third of a century later, we can say fairly definitively that it was a failure.” DecisionLevelsResultsEconomyCenturyParticularTaxesLowsThirdsRateExperimentsInequalityRegulationLow LevelTrickle Down Author:Joseph Stiglitz
“All the big corporations depreciate their possessions, and you can, too, provided you use them for business purposes. For example, if you subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, a business-related newspaper, you can deduct the cost of your house, because, in the words of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger in a landmark 1979 tax decision: Where else are you going to read the paper? Outside? What if it rains?” IfsUseBigsPurposeHouseJusticeDecisionStreetsExampleWallCostTaxesPaperHumorousRainCourtPossessionNewspapersSupremeChiefsCorporationsRelatedWhat IfJournalSupreme CourtBurgersLandmarksBig CorporationsDepreciateWall Street JournalChief JusticeBusiness Related Author:Dave Barry
“I think the knowledge about how legislation really affects small businesses is extremely valuable. If you haven't run a small business, then you don't have this kind of knowledge about how a regulation passed or taxes increased affects your bottom line. If you recognize that every new regulation takes that much more time to comply with, requires that many more employees, then it really gives you that foundational basis to make those decisions.” IfsThinkingGivingKindRunningLinesDecisionHavensTaxesBasesBottomValuableEmployeeMore TimeRegulationLegislationSmall BusinessBottom Line Author:Kristi Noem
“We also need to encourage Americans to become more fiscally responsible themselves. We can do this by redesigning our tax system into an expenditure tax with a single flat rate. ... We have to substantially reduce the size and scope of the federal government, fundamentally increase the role of the states in choosing their own practices, and bring decision-making closer to the people, not to unelected administrators. These steps are crucial to getting our nation on a path of fiscal, political and constitutional responsibility.” PeopleNeedsStatesGovernmentPoliticalNationsCan DoDecisionResponsibilityStepsRolesPracticePathTaxesIncreaseResponsibleRateSizeDecision MakingFlatsCrucialFederal GovernmentScopeExpendituresAdministratorsTax System Author:Edwin Feulner
“High-tech employers recognize that we will only be as successful as the employees that we attract. When it comes to transportation, environmental, housing and land use decisions, we don't view investments as tax and spend, but rather as invest and prosper.” UseGrowthNatureDecisionViewsSuccessfulLandTaxesSmartInvestmentEnvironmentalEmployeeConservationHousingEmployersTransportationLand UseSmart Growth Author:Carl Guardino
“The challenge for any government is how do you do two things at the same time. How do you put money forward for things like the payroll tax holiday, for things like getting a jump-start on infrastructure, for building schools, and make the decisions for long-term deficit reduction.” LongTwoGovernmentSchoolTermChallengesDecisionBuildingTaxesLong TermTwo ThingsHolidayInfrastructureDeficitReductionPayrollPayroll Tax Author:Jacob Lew
“I prefer an income tax, but the truth is I am afraid of the discussion which will follow and the criticism which will ensue if there is an other division in the Supreme Court on the subject of the income tax. Nothing has injured the prestige of the Supreme Court more than that last decision, and I think that many of the most violent advocates of the income tax will be glad of the substitution in their hearts for the same reasons. I am going to push the Constitutional amendment, which will admit an income tax without questions, but I am afraid of it without such an amendment.” IfsThinkingHeartReasonLastsDecisionSubjectsTruth IsTaxesCriticismCourtGladSupremeViolentIncomeDiscussionDivisionAmendmentsSupreme CourtInjuredIncome TaxPrestigeSubstitutionConstitutional Amendments Author:William Howard Taft
“Taxes cause the most bad business decisions.” CausesDecisionTaxesBusiness DecisionsBad Business Author:James Cook
“We [the USA] have a $16 trillion debt which these tax increases will do nothing to solve and you will have at least 200,000 less jobs next year than you have now. And the people who vote for that will be responsible for that decision and they will held accountable for that terrible public policy.” PeopleYearsJobsNextDecisionPolicyTerribleTaxesVoteIncreaseResponsibleSolveDebtUsaNext YearBeing ResponsiblePublic PolicyTax Increases Author:Marco Rubio
“Tax (reform) is ultimately a decision about values.” ValuesDecisionTaxesReformTax Reform Author:Bill Bradley
“Investment decision should be made on the basis of the most probable compounding of after-tax net worth with minimum risk.” ShouldMadeDecisionRiskTaxesBasesInvestmentMinimumNet Worth Author:Warren Buffett
“And the fact is - is if you lower - if you lower taxes, you don't have to wait for the money to get to the states, the money to get out in contracts. You send a signal immediately, and so businesses start making decisions.” IfsStatesFactsWaitingDecisionTaxesContractsSignalsMaking Decisions Author:John Boehner
“I think companies trying to exercise a so-called inversion should be hit with an exit tax. So I want to change behaviors, and I am deeply distressed about quarterly capitalism, because I think it is causing businesses to make decisions that are not helping the long-term profitability of American corporations or the success of our economy.” ThinkingWantShouldTryingLongHelpingTermDecisionCompanyEconomyExerciseTaxesBehaviorCapitalismCorporationsLong TermExitProfitabilityInversions Author:Hillary Clinton
“We have to convince people that they have the power to elect people. The people they are electing are the ones making the decisions about how our tax dollars are going to be spent. Is it going to be for more jails, or for more schools? For more house services? It's very important that people understand that, do their research and find out who to vote for.” PeopleImportantSchoolHouseDecisionTaxesResearchVoteDollarsConvinceJailTax Dollars Author:Dolores Huerta
“Using tax payers' money to provide liquidity to Wall Street so that the country wouldn't head into a depression was the right decision, in my judgment.” CountryDecisionStreetsWallTaxesJudgmentRight DecisionLiquidity Author:George W. Bush
“I think that some of today's focus on freedom of information and trans rights have a tendency to focus on the actions of individuals and how they should be regulated by governments. However, I think it's important to remember that it is the institutions themselves - schools, tax collection services, banks, human resources decisions, health departments, police departments, prosecutors, courts, and prisons - where the most devastating and systemic problems occur today. The scale of these problems is simply unimaginable.” ThinkingShouldHumansImportantProblemGovernmentTodayActionSchoolRememberIndividualDecisionFocusRightsInformationTaxesResourcesPoliceInstitutionsCourtPrisonScalesTendenciesDepartmentCollectionsTransHuman ResourcesUnimaginableProsecutorPolice Department Author:Chelsea Manning
“The tax on capital gains directly affects investment decisions, the mobility and flow of risk capital from static to more dynamic situations, the ease or difficulty experienced by new ventures in obtaining capital, and thereby the strength and potential for growth of the economy.” GrowthDecisionEconomyRiskTaxesGainsFlowDifficultyInvestmentEaseVentureObtainingMobilityCapital GainsNew VenturesCapital Gains Tax Author:John F. Kennedy
“The right U.S. tax policy could positively impact decisions to develop or redevelop new retail and restaurant destinations that make a community great. Policy improvements can grow the economy in communities across the country, spurring investment and new development.” CountryCommunityDecisionEconomyPolicyTaxesInvestmentImprovementPositively Author:Thomas M. McGee
“In order to make the tough decisions we have to know what our values are and who we're fighting for and our priorities and if we are spending $300 billion on tax cuts for people who don't need them and weren't even asking for them, and we are leaving out health care which is crushing on people all across the country, then I think we have made a bad decision and I want to make sure we're not shortchanging our long term priorities.” PeopleThinkingLongCountryCareValuesFightingTermDecisionCuttingTaxesToughLeavingPrioritiesHealth CareLong TermCrushBad DecisionTough Decisions Author:Barack Obama