The POPVOX Blog

Articles Tagged taxes,

1. Issue Spotlight: Income Tax

   by rachna on April 12, 2012

   With Tax Day coming up, POPVOX is spotlighting bills related to income taxes. But first, here's some interesting tax-related history. 

   While most people consider the passage of the 16th Amendment as the origin of the income tax on individuals, its history actually goes back even further, according to the Library of Congress.

   In 1861, Congress passed a tax on personal incomes to help pay war expenses related to the Civil War, which was repealed ten years later. Then in 1894, Congress enacted a flat rate Federal income tax, which was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court because it was a direct tax not apportioned according to the population of each state. The 16th Amendment, ratified in 1913, removed this objection by allowing the Federal government to tax the income of individuals without regard to the population of each State.

   March 1st was the original filing deadline specified by Congress after the passage of the 16th Amendment. Only after the tax overhaul in 1954 was the date moved to April 15th.

   We hope you'll weigh in on these bills on POPVOX and share the list with your friends and networks. 

   Issue Spotlight: Personal Income Tax

   Income Tax Rates

   • S 2230 The Paying a Fair Share Act ("the Buffett Rule") reduces the deficit by imposing a minimum effective tax rate for high-income taxpayers. (Senate resumes consideration next week.)Also HR 3903.
   • HR 2506 The Making Work and Marriage Pay Act establishes the National Commission on Effective Marginal Tax Rates for Low-Income Families.
   • HConRes103 H Con Res 103 expresses the sense of Congress that the effective Federal tax rate paid by the President and Vice-President of the United States, and Members of the House of Representatives and Senate, should not be less than the effective Federal tax rate paid by middle class Americans.
   • HR 4265 The Shared Responsibility in Preserving America’s Future Act amends the tax code to impose a 5 percent tax on so much of adjusted gross income of any individual as exceeds $1,000,000, and to provide incentive for Congress to pass a balanced budget amendment, or spending limit amendment, to the Constitution.
   • HR 1139 The Tax Free Tips Act amends the tax code to provide that tips shall not be subject to income or employment taxes.
   • HR 547 The Individual AMT Repeal Act amends the tax code to repeal the alternative minimum tax on individuals.
   • HR 3747 The Permanent AMT Relief Act amends the tax code to increase the alternative minimum tax exemption amount and index such amount for inflation.
   • HR 3091 HR 3091 makes permanent the individual income tax rates for capital gains and dividends.

   Tax Credits and Deductions

   • HR 4260 The Adjusting for Income Disparity Act amends the tax code to allow an income disparity tax credit.
   • HR 184 The Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act repeals the sunset of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 with respect to the expansion of the adoption credit and adoption assistance programs.
   • S 11 The Permanent Marriage Penalty Relief Act provides permanent tax relief from the marriage penalty.
   • HR 150 The Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act amends the tax code to repeal the inclusion in gross income of Social Security benefits.
   • HR 35 The Teacher Tax Reduction Act amends the tax code to increase the deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers to $500 and to extend it through 2013.

   Tax Code Reforms

   • HR 25 The Fair Tax Act promotes freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the States. (Also S 13.)
   • HR 462 The Tax Code Termination Act terminates the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
   • HR 1040 The Freedom Flat Tax Act amends the tax code to provide taxpayers a flat tax alternative to the current income tax system.
   • S 1534 The Identify Theft and Tax Fraud Prevention Act prevents identity theft and tax fraud.

   See other Issue Spotlights.

   Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn't imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we're simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.

2. Issue Spotlight: Estate Tax

   by rachna on April 7, 2012

   "The Estate Tax is a tax on your right to transfer property at your death." According to the IRS, "the laws on Estate and Gift Taxes are considered to be some of the most complicated in the tax code."

   With Tax Day coming up, POPVOX will be spotlighting bills related to taxes. We hope you'll weigh in on these bills on POPVOX and share the list with your friends and networks. And stay tuned for other tax-related Issue Spotlights.

   Issue Spotlight: Estate Tax

   • HR 177 The Death Tax Repeal Act repeals the Federal estate and gift taxes.
   • HR 1259 The Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act repeals the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes.
   • S 2200 The Saving the Family Farm Act amends the tax code to exempt certain family-owned farms and businesses from the estate tax.
   • HR 123 HR 123 amends the tax code to make certain tax relief permanent, and repeals the estate tax.
   • HR 696 The Tax Relief Certainty Act permanently extends the 2001 and 2003 tax relief provisions, permanently repeals the estate tax, and provides permanent AMT relief.
   • HR 3467 The Sensible Estate Tax Act amends the tax code to reform the estate and gift tax.
   • HR 390 The Family Farm Preservation and Conservation Estate Tax Act amends the tax code to provide an exclusion from the gross estate for certain farmlands and lands subject to qualified conservation easements.
   • HR 1757 HR 1757 makes permanent the estate tax provisions enacted as part of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010.

   See other Issue Spotlights.

   Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn't imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we're simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.

3. Weekly Bill Round Up: Week of 2/13

   by rachna on February 19, 2012

   Here are the bills that caught the attention of the POPVOX team and POPVOXnation this past week. Have a bill you'd like spotlighted on POPVOX's Bill Page? Send me an email at rachna@popvox.com

   Round Up: Week of 2/13

   • HR 3630 The Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act (HR 3630 with new legislative language as given by the conference report on Feb. 16) extends payroll tax holiday and a reformed unemployment insurance program set to expire at the end of the year, and a two-year freeze on cuts to doctors under Medicare. (Enacted Feb. 22.)
   • S 1813 Moving Ahead for Progress in the Twenty-First Century (MAP-21) reauthorizes Federal-aid highway and highway safety construction programs. (Senate resumes consideration on Friday.)
   • HR 7 American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act authorizes funds for Federal-aid highway, public transportation, and highway and motor carrier safety programs. (House begins consideration on Wednesday.)
   • HR 3813 The Securing Annuities for Federal Employees Act secures the annuities of Federal civilian employees. (House begins consideration on Wednesday.)
   • HR 3408 The PIONEERS Act sets clear rules for the development of U.S. oil shale resources, promotes shale technology research and development. (Passed in the House on February 16, 2012 and goes to the Senate next for consideration.)
   • S 2105 The Cybersecurity Act enhances the security and resiliency of the cyber and communications infrastructure of the U.S. (Just introduced.)
   • S 2081 The Extended Unemployment Benefits Reform Act requires individuals to complete 20 hours of public service and 20 hours of active job search per week as conditions for receipt of federal extended unemployment benefits. (Just introduced.)
   • HR 4000 The Energizing America Through Employment Act approves the Keystone XL pipeline project. (Just introduced.)
   • HR 3998 HR 3998 amends the tax code to extend the deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers (Just introduced.)
   • HR 3995 The Protecting Consumer Access to Generic Drugs Act prohibits brand name drug companies from compensating generic drug companies to delay the entry of a generic drug into the market. (Just introduced.)
   • HR 3991 The Keep Employees’ Emails and Phones Secure Act prohibits the National Labor Relations Board from requiring that employers provide to the Board or to a labor organization the telephone number or email address of any employee. (Just introduced.)
   • HR 4010 The DISCLOSE Act (HR 4010) amends the Federal Election Campaign Act to provide for additional disclosure requirements for corporations, labor organizations, and other entities. (Just introduced.)
   • HR 4011 The American Anti-Torture Act modifies certain provisions of law relating to torture. (Just introduced.)
   • HR 4003 The Postmark Payment Act provides that the payment of a bill, invoice, or statement of account due, if made by mail, shall be considered to have been made on the date as of which the envelope which is used to transmit such payment is postmarked. (Just introduced.)
   • S 2088 S 2088 amends the tax code to permanently double the amount of start-up expenses entrepreneurs can deduct from their taxes. (Just introduced.)
   • SRes 370 S Res 370: resolution calling for democratic change in Syria. (Just introduced.)
   • HR 306 The U.S. Job Creation and International Tax Reform Act provides a 95% exemption from U.S. tax on foreign earnings already been subject to tax in a foreign country and allows foreign earnings currently overseas to be brought back to America at a reduced tax rate, according to the bill sponsor. (Just introduced.)

   Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn't imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we're simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.

4. PAYROLL TAX CUT EXTENSION: Where Will Congress find the Pay-Fors?

   by marci on January 30, 2012

   Will the Conference Committee tasked with hammering out an agreement on extending the payroll tax cut end up as a “Super Committee 2.0”?

   The question was posed by Felicia Sonmez in the Washington Post’s “2Chambers” blog -- and she has a point. Many of the players are the same (see below) and so is the task: find agreement on hundreds of billions in “pay-fors.”  

   The Payroll Tax Cut Conference Committee must find savings or cuts to finance extending the payroll tax cut, unemployment benefits and the “doc fix,” to stave off almost 30% automatic cuts to physicians paid by Medicare. The overall package is expected to require approximately $170 billion.

   POPVOX users have some ideas on where those savings could come from, based on input on proposals to the original Super Committee (the now-defunct Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction.) The POPVOX tech and design team ran the numbers and created this infographic showing which of proposed deficit reduction measures garnered the greatest bipartisan support from POPVOX users. Consider it a “menu” as conference members return to the table on February 1 and attempt to reach agreement before their February 29 deadline.

   

   The infographic is the result of great work by our design and tech team: CTO Josh Tauberer analyzed the data while William Donnell and Shane Aday of Sodium Halogen made it beautiful and functional.

   Members of the Payroll Tax Conference Committee

   Senate Democrats: Max Baucus*, Jack Reed, Ben Cardin, Bob Casey

   House Republicans: Dave Camp*,  Nan Hayworth, Tom Price, Renee Ellmers, Kevin Brady, Fred Upton*, Tom Reed, Greg Walden,  

   Senate Republicans: Jon Kyl* John Barrasso, Mike Crapo

   House Democrats: Xavier Becerra*, Sander Levin, Allyson Schwartz, Chris Van Hollen*, Henry Waxman

   *Also served on the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction (Super Committee)

5. Entrepreneur Magazine--They've Got Your Backers

   by annalee on September 1, 2011

   They've Got Your Backers in Entrepreneur Magazine

6. The Tax Cut Extension: (Or, "the Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amend...")

   by marci on December 16, 2010

   Looking to weigh in on the Extension of the Bush Tax Cut (3,790,000 results on Google) or the “ Middle Class Tax Relief " bill (only 570,000) and having trouble?  There is a good reason for that.  The bill you are looking for is H.R. 4853 , which was originally entitled "the Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2010."

   That bill was introduced in March by the Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; passed the House on March 17, and was sent to the Senate.  The Senate then added an amendment, had a vote, and it passed the Senate on September 23, 2010. Since the same version has to pass both Houses of Congress before it can be signed into law by the President , the amended version had to pass the House again, which it did on December 2, this time with an additional House amendment.

   

   So, at the time that the tax cut deal was being discussed, H.R. 4853 was sitting patiently in the Senate, waiting for a vote.

   As discussed earlier , "revenue-raisers" are Constitutionally required to " originate in the House ."  That includes all tax bills.  So, when those making the decisions decided that a vote in the Senate should come before a vote in the House, they needed to find a "vehicle" - that is, a House-originated bill, with a House "H.R." number.  H.R. 4853 fit the bill.  (pun intended.)  The tax provisions were added as an amendment to H.R. 4853.  The Senate voted on the whole package on December 15.  The bill passed , and was sent yet again to the House for a vote.

   The bill that is up for consideration in the House is the “ Senate amendment to the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 4853 .”  That is not a typo.

   Want to read the bill?  For now, it’s available on THOMAS.gov .  (The new language is making its way to the GovTrack API and onto POPVOX as we speak.)

   Want to know how things will happen on the House Floor?  See the “ Rule ”.  This is a resolution that sets the procedure for the vote.

   And since you've read this far... you really should register your opinion on POPVOX.  And if you want to point your friends to do the same, use this short url:  http://pvox.co/JyfU1e .