Tax Staff Essentials, Level 2: Experienced Staff (49 CPE Credits) is designed for junior tax staff who want to take on a wider variety of firm engagements and establish a supervisory role within the firm. Level 2 will broaden your tax knowledge in the areas of multistate taxation, C Corporations, accounting methods and periods and choice of entity. Key subject matters covered include Inventory Valuation and Property Transactions which will be essential for servicing more complex clients. The Tax Staff Essentials courses establish a strong set of skills necessary to grow the abilities and confidence of junior and senior level staff, allowing them to work with greater independence and expand their role in your firm. Note: This course has been updated for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 (Tax Reform). Included with your course, you will have free access to a specially-prepared Course Supplement that provides an explanation of the key provisions of TCJA (including topics not covered in your course). Courses Included: Tax Research II Multistate Taxation Tax Accounting for Inventories Taxation of Property Transactions Intermediate Individual Taxation Taxation of Corporations Accounting Methods and Periods Choice of & Formation of Entity This comprehensive, integrated curriculum provides tax training for four different experience levels and is available in four different formats: Online, On-site, Tax Schools and Webcasts. Key Topics New individual income tax rates New corporate tax rates New pass-through income rules The qualified business income (QBI) deduction New rules for certain credits and deductions C Corporation formation and Section 1244 Stock Corporate net operating losses Salaries, employee benefits, and retirement plans Taxation of property transactions under IRC sections 1231, 1245, 1250 LLC formation and Check-the-Box rules Partnership and LLC profit and loss allocations Multistate Income apportionment and allocation Nexus, UDITPA, MTC Section 263A, Inventory methods Choosing an Accounting Method Accounting Method changes Learning Objectives Identify the benefits of forming a corporation Understand reasonable compensation issues with respect to a Closely Held Business Analyze the best retirement plan recommendation for a corporation Describe how partnerships and LLCs opting to be treated as partnerships will report their federal taxable income to the IRS Determine the tax basis of assets transferred to a partnership or LLC at formation Explain the deferral of realized gain or loss on a like-kind property exchange Recognize the potential impact of depreciation recapture Explain the allowable inventory valuation methods for tax purposes and how to choose the most beneficial in various scenarios Estimate the tax value of ending inventory under the chosen method Understand and apply the basic rules for a change in accounting method Prepare the Federal Form 3115 - Application for Change in Accounting Method and understand how and when this form should be filed by the taxpayer Understand the key principles of multistate taxation Distinguish differences between apportionment and allocation of income Develop basic approaches to state income tax planning with emphasis on the latest developments in economic nexus Credit Info CPE CREDITS: Online: 49.0 (CPE credit info) NASBA FIELD OF STUDY: Taxes LEVEL: Intermediate PREREQUISITES: Tax Staff with 1-3 years of experience ADVANCE PREPARATION: None DELIVERY METHOD: QAS Self-Study COURSE ACRONYM: TSE.Level 2 Online Access Instructions A personal pin code is enclosed in the physical packaging that may be activated online upon receipt. Once activated, you will gain immediate online access to the product. System Requirements AICPA's online CPE courses will operate in a variety of configurations, but only the configuration described below is supported by AICPA technicians. A stable and continuous internet connection is required. In order to record your completion of the online learning courses, please ensure you are connected to the internet at all times while taking the course. It is your responsibility to validate that CPE certificate(s) are available within your account after successfully completing the course and/or exam. Supported Operating Systems: Macintosh OS X 10.10 to present Windows 7 to present Supported Browsers: Apple Safari Google Chrome Microsoft Internet Explorer Mozilla Firefox Required Browser Plug-ins: Adobe Flash Adobe Acrobat Reader Technical Support: Please contact [email protected].

Das Buch widmet sich dem deutschen Strommarkt und der Herausforderung, ein ideales Gleichgewicht zwischen den anteilig abnehmenden konventionellen Kraftwerken und den zunehmenden erneuerbaren Erzeugungsanlagen zu erreichen. Durch die meteorologisch abhangige Einspeisung regenerativer Energien bildet das Thema der Gewahrleistung von Versorgungssicherheit im zukunftigen Energiesystem den Mittelpunkt kontroverser Diskussionen. Ein Kapazitatsmechanismus als erganzendes Absicherungsinstrument zum Strommarkt stellt eine Moeglichkeit dar, mit der der Versorgungssicherheitsdebatte begegnet werden kann. Um einen fur Deutschland adaquaten Ansatz zu ermitteln, betrachtet die Autorin internationale Modelle (Schweden/USA), die auf Basis eines Kriterien-Vergleichs ein geeignetes Instrument abbilden koennten.

A timely and incisive look at austerity measures that succeed-and those that don't Fiscal austerity is hugely controversial. Opponents argue that it can trigger downward growth spirals and become self-defeating. Supporters argue that budget deficits have to be tackled aggressively at all times and at all costs. In this masterful book, three of today's leading policy experts cut through the political noise to demonstrate that there is not one type of austerity but many. Looking at thousands of fiscal measures adopted by sixteen advanced economies since the late 1970s, Austerity assesses the relative effectiveness of tax increases and spending cuts at reducing debt. It shows that spending cuts have much smaller costs in terms of output losses than tax increases. Spending cuts can sometimes be associated with output gains in the case of expansionary austerity and are much more successful than tax increases at reducing the growth of debt. The authors also show that austerity is not necessarily the kiss of death for political careers as is often believed, and provide new insights into the recent cases of European austerity after the financial crisis. Bringing needed clarity to one of today's most challenging subjects, Austerity charts a sensible approach based on data analysis rather than ideology.

Mit der Einfuhrung des "Gesetzes zur Foerderung der Mediation und anderer Verfahren der aussergerichtlichen Konfliktbeilegung" wurde in Deutschland auch das Guterichterverfahren an den Gerichten implementiert. Die Autorin untersucht, inwiefern das Guterichterverfahren die aussergerichtliche Mediation erganzt oder ihr als Konkurrenz gegenubersteht. Nach einem UEberblick uber beide Verfahrensarten diskutiert sie insbesondere die wichtigen Punkte der Freiwilligkeit der Teilnahme, die Vertraulichkeit der beiden Verfahren sowie die Ausbildungsqualitat und stellt die Kosten beider Verfahren gegenuber. Sie macht rechtspolitische Vorschlage, um sowohl die aussergerichtliche wie auch das Guterichterverfahren bekannter zu machen.

This authoritative and readable survey is a comprehensive historical overview of federal taxation and fiscal policy in the United States, extending from the era of the American Revolution to the present day. Brownlee relates the principal stages of federal taxation to the crises that led to their adoption, including but not limited to: the formation of the republic, the Civil War, World War I and II, and the challenges to government that took hold during the 1980s. In this third edition, Brownlee adds four new chapters covering the colonial era, the American Revolution, the Civil War, the 1920s, and the post-1945 era including the tax policies of the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations. It features expanded discussion of government expenditures, deficits and debt, public resources, counter-cyclical fiscal policy, and state and local taxation. Its interdisciplinary interpretation makes it perfect for scholars, graduate students and advanced undergraduate students.

Der Autor untersucht den Stellenwert volkswirtschaftlicher Inhalte innerhalb der kaufmannischen Berufsbildung. Wahrend fachorientierte Lehrplane durch enge inhaltliche Vorgaben gekennzeichnet sind, eroeffnen lernfeldbasierte Rahmenlehrplane mit Blick auf die unterrichtliche Umsetzung unterschiedliche inhaltliche Schwerpunktsetzungen. Der Autor zeichnet die fachliche Genese volkswirtschaftlicher Inhalte nach und pruft, welche Einflussfaktoren die unterrichtliche Relevanz volkswirtschaftlicher Inhalte beeinflussen. In diesem Rahmen stehen personelle Aspekte auf Seiten der Lehrpersonen sowie die Wirkung von Abschlussprufungen im Fokus der Arbeit.

Der nordrhein-westfalische Entwurf zur Einfuhrung eines Verbandsstrafgesetzes hat die langjahrige Diskussion um die Einfuhrung eines Unternehmensstrafrechts wieder entfacht. Der Autor nimmt den Gesetzesentwurf zum Anlass, um die bislang vorwiegend im Strafrecht diskutierte Problematik einer kriminalstrafrechtlichen Sanktionierung von Unternehmen aus der Perspektive des Gesellschaftsrechts zu untersuchen. Hierbei analysiert er, ob der vorgelegte Entwurf gesellschaftsrechtliche Wertungen hinreichend berucksichtigt und zieht sodann Gedanken des Gesellschaftsrechts fur konzeptionelle Erwagungen zur Ausgestaltung eines Verbandsstrafgesetzbuchs heran.

Dieser Band der Bad Orber Gesprache 2015 enthalt die erweiterten Referate eines interdisziplinaren Workshops zum Thema "Entwicklung und Wandel in der Gesundheitspolitik". Vertreter des Deutschen Bundestages, des Gemeinsamen Bundesausschusses, des GKV-Spitzenverbandes, der Krankenkassen, der Kassenarztlichen Bundesvereinigung, der pharmazeutischen Industrie und der Wissenschaft eroertern Probleme des Wettbewerbs im Gesundheitswesen, der Versorgung an der Schnittstelle ambulant/stationar, der Innovationsanreize sowie der Nutzenbewertung und Versorgungssteuerung im Arzneimittelbereich.

This volume of essays explores the history of the US tax mission to Japan during the occupation following World War II. Under General MacArthur, economist Carl S. Shoup led the mission with the charge of framing a tax system for Japan designed to strengthen democracy and accelerate economic recovery. The volume examines the sources, conduct and effects of the mission and situates the mission within the history of international financial and fiscal reform. The book begins by establishing the context of progressive social investigations of taxation, including Shoup's earlier tax missions to France and Cuba. It then goes on to explore the Japanese background to the Shoup mission and the process by which American and Japanese tax experts shaped their recommendations. The book then assesses and explains the mission's accomplishments in the context of the political economies of the United States and Japan. It concludes by analyzing the global implications of the mission, which became iconic among international tax reformers.

This book explores the politics of fiscal authority, focusing on the centralization of taxation in Latin America during the twentieth century. The book studies this issue in great detail for the case of Mexico. The political (and fiscal) fragmentation associated with civil war at the beginning of the century was eventually transformed into a highly centralized regime. The analysis shows that fiscal centralization can best be studied as the consequence of a bargain struck between self-interested regional and national politicians. Fiscal centralization was more extreme in Mexico than in most other places in the world, but the challenges and problems tackled by Mexican politicians were not unique. The book thus analyzes fiscal centralization and the origins of intergovernmental financial transfers in the other Latin American federal regimes, Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela. The analysis sheds light on the factors that explain the consolidation of tax authority in developing countries.

Part of a series dealing with all aspects of taxation, including tax policy and issues at the federal, state, local, or international level. The series primarily publishes empirical studies that address compliance, computer usage, education, legal, planning, or policy issues.

Goods and Services Tax (GST) was implemented in India in July 2017, after four decades of protracted deliberations amid critical socio-economic and political challenges. GST is a comprehensive multistage value added tax (VAT) on goods and services where both central and state governments share the same tax base. Finding a suitable design for GST that encompasses taxes from both the centre and the state tax brackets makes the Indian GST unique among GST implemented in other federal countries. This book is a study of the evolution of GST in India since the Report of the Indirect Taxation Enquiry Committee of 1977. It studies the following issues on GST: a) inclusion and exclusion of taxes, b) finding a suitable mechanism to handle inter-state transactions, c) finding revenue neutrality of the tax reform, d) providing compensation to states for any possible loss of revenue due to its adoption, and e) possible scope for coordination in GST administration.

Im Buch werden Sanierungsstrategien fur Kapitalgesellschaften vorgestellt. Das deutsche Steuerrecht kennt kein eigenes Sanierungssteuerrecht, sondern nur partielle Regelungen, die Unternehmenssanierungen in besonderem Masse wurdigen. Sanierende sind mit einer hochkomplexen Entscheidungssituation konfrontiert, die unter steuerlichen Aspekten mit erheblicher Rechtsunsicherheit verbunden ist. Der Autor untersucht die steuerlichen Rahmenbedingungen aus Verlustverrechnungsbeschrankungen, der Besteuerung von Sanierungsgewinnen und der Nichtberucksichtigung von Gewinnminderungen unter Berucksichtigung der nationalen und europaischen Rechtsprechung. Er analysiert und systematisiert typische Sanierungsinstrumente und zeigt ertragsteuerliche Optimierungsstrategien auf.

At the turn of the twentieth century, the US system of public finance underwent a dramatic transformation. The late nineteenth-century regime of indirect, hidden, partisan, and regressive taxes was eclipsed in the early twentieth century by a direct, transparent, professionally administered, and progressive tax system. In Making the American Fiscal State, Ajay K. Mehrotra uncovers the contested roots and paradoxical consequences of this fundamental shift in American tax law and policy. He argues that the move toward a regime of direct and graduated taxation marked the emergence of a new fiscal polity - a new form of statecraft that was guided not simply by the functional need for greater revenue but by broader social concerns about economic justice, civic identity, bureaucratic capacity, and public power. Between the end of Reconstruction and the onset of the Great Depression, the intellectual, legal, and administrative foundations of the modern fiscal state first took shape. This book explains how and why this new fiscal polity came to be.

A tax credit is a tax incentive which allows certain taxpayers to subtract the amount of the credit from the total taxes they owe. This book explores some of the different tax credits that are currently available including credits for child and dependent care, adoption benefits, energy and housing credits, and income and work credits. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the child tax credit under current law, including temporary changes made by the 2017 tax revision There are two tax provisions that subsidize the child and dependent care expenses of working parents: the child and dependent care tax credit (CDCTC) and the exclusion for employer-sponsored child and dependent care. Chapter 2 provides a general overview of these two tax benefits, focusing on eligibility requirements and benefit calculation. Chapter 3 first briefly summarizes key components of the CDCTC, including reviewing eligibility requirements and how the credit is calculated. It then provides estimates of selected characteristics of familiessuch as income, number of children, marital status, and child care expensesthat claim the credit and, where appropriate, contrasts them with families that do not claim the credit. Chapter 4 focuses on federal adoption tax benefits, which consist of an adoption tax credit and an income tax exclusion for employer-provided adoption assistance. Chapter 5 explores one policy option for promoting residential energy efficiency: tax credits. It begins by providing an overview of the current residential energy-efficiency tax credits. It then goes on to provide an economic rationale for residential energy-efficiency tax incentives, introducing the concept of market failures and market barriers which may lead to suboptimal or economically inefficient investment in energy-efficiency technologies. Chapter 6 provides a brief overview of the renewable electricity PTC. The first section describes the credit. The second section provides a legislative history. The third section presents data on PTC claims and discusses the revenue consequences of the credit. The fourth section briefly considers some of the economic and policy considerations related to the credit. The chapter concludes by briefly noting policy options related to the PTC. The low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) program is one of the federal governments primary policy tools for encouraging the development and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing. As discussed in chapter 7, these nonrefundable federal housing tax credits are awarded to developers of qualified rental projects via a competitive application process administered by state housing finance authorities. Chapter 8 provides both an in-depth description of The American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) and an analysis of its economic impact. This chapter is organized to first provide an overview of the AOTC, followed by a legislative history that highlights the evolution of education tax credits from proposals in the 1960s through the recent permanent extension of the AOTC at the end of 2015. This chapter then analyzes the credit by looking at who claims the credit, the effect education tax credits have on increasing attendance at higher education institutions, and administrative issues with the AOTC. Finally, this chapter concludes with a brief overview of various policy options. Chapter 9 provides a general overview of the earned income tax credit (EITC). The chapter then summarizes the key legislative changes to the credit and provides analysis of some of the congressional intentions behind these changes. Chapter 10 looks at the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). The WOTC is a provision of the Internal Revenue Code that allows employers that hire individuals with certain personal characteristics, including veterans, recipients of certain public benefits, or other specified populations, to claim a tax credit equal to a portion of the wages paid to those individuals.

The United States faces enormous challenges in the energy area. Climate change, biofuels policy, energy security, and environmental degradation are all intimately bound up with energy production and consumption. Historically, the federal government has relied on tax subsidies to effect energy policy. With mounting federal deficits, policymakers and advocates are increasingly calling for a rethinking of our energy tax policy. How can the federal tax code strengthen environmental policy and reduce security concerns in the area of energy? This book brings together leading tax scholars to answer this question. The authors tackle such difficult problems as climate change, efficient taxation of oil and gas, and optimal oil tax policy in a world with OPEC oil producers dominating world oil supply. This volume presents a number of innovative policy suggestions backed by sophisticated and cutting-edge research carried out by leading scholars in the area of energy taxation. Scholars and policymakers alike will appreciate the incisive analysis and discussion of critical issues that are part of the twenty-first-century energy challenge.

How does China maintain authoritarian rule while it is committed to market-oriented economic reforms? This book analyzes this puzzle by offering a systematic analysis of the central-local governmental relationship in rural China, focusing on rural taxation and political participation. Drawing on in-depth interviews with Chinese local officials and villagers, and combining them with game-theoretic analyses, it argues that the central government uses local governments as a target of blame for the problems that the central government has actually created. The most recent rural tax reforms, which began in 2000, were a conscious trade-off between fiscal crises and rural instability. For the central government, local fiscal crises and the lack of public goods in agricultural areas were less serious concerns than the heavy financial burdens imposed on farmers and the rural unrest that the predatory extractive behavior of local governments had generated in the 1990s, which threatened both economic reforms and authoritarian rule.

Transfer Pricing and Valuation in Corporate Taxation analyzes the disparities between both federal statutes and regulations, and r- ulations and administrative practice, in a highly controversial area of corporate tax policy: intra-company transfer pricing for tax p- poses. It addresses issues that often mean millions of dollars to in- vidual corporations, and a significant fraction of the federal gove- ment's revenue base. These disparities between law, regulations, and administrative practice are concerning on a number of grounds. First, they - pose considerable economic costs by inducing corporations to engage in a variety of "rent-seeking" activities designed to reduce their - pected tax liabilities, and by requiring the IRS to devote still more to enforcement efforts that are very often futile. Second, they are in- ; herently undemocratic. Administrative practice is currently ad hoc by relying on dispute resolution procedures that can and do yield very different settlements on disputed tax issues from one case to another, the IRS often ends up treating similarly situated cor- rations very differently. Moreover, to the extent that the disp- ity between statute and implementation reflects the IRS's failure to carry out Congress' will, the laws passed by duly elected officials are effectively being superseded by administrative procedure, developed incrementally by individuals who are not answerable to an electorate.

Tax Insight: For Tax Year 2013 and Beyondwill teach you to take control of life's biggest expensetaxes. In your lifetime, you will spend more money on taxes than on anything else. Despite that fact, you likely know the current prices of movies and milk but don't know what your marginal tax rate is. You know where to get the cheapest gallon of gas to save a buck or two, but you don't give a thought to the tax strategies you should be using right now that would save you thousands. Why? Is it too complicated and confusing? Too unpleasant? In Tax Insight, tax expert Casey Murdock opens up the world of taxes with amazing clarity and simplicity. As you will discover, you have within reachnumerous ways to reduce your taxes. With everyday language and real-life examples, Tax Insight will give you the keysto minimizing your tax burden.

This book contains information you need even if you have a tax advisor or use a program like TurboTax. Tax professionals are busy and sometimes too cautious, and programs often miss opportunities for you to save money.It's also for those of all ages and income levels, including business owners. Tax Insight:
Breaks down the key components of taxes with ease and simplicity. Provides a roadmap to paying as little tax as possible. Helps you know if you should do it yourself or hire a professional. While there are many encyclopedic books on taxeslike J.K. Lasser's Your Taxesthere aren't nearly enough that describe the tax code in plain language. Far more than a rehash of impenetrable IRS help documents, Tax Insights is organized the way most people think and presents ideas in clear, simple language. If you buy this book and take advantage of its advice, you will save money. What you'll learn This book will help you:
Avoid paying even a penny more in taxes than you should. Avoid common tax strategies that could actually cost you more than they save. Capture all of the deductions and credits that you are due. Know whether to file your own return or hire a tax professional. Utilize the entire year to implement tax-reducing strategies. Understand the key components of the tax return and how they work together. Prepare for or survive an audit Use real estate or a small business to reduce your tax bill Who this book is for

Tax Insight: For Tax Year 2013 and Beyond is for the frustrated taxpayerthe taxpayer who is frustrated by paying too much, frustrated by the complexity of the tax code, or frustrated because their CPA isn't proactively helping them pay fewer taxes. Tax Insight is the perfect book for the person who is looking for a straightforward, simple explanation of the tax-saving strategies that are within reach. In an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand narrative, Tax Insight gives readers a thorough understanding of the tax strategies that apply to them and the information they need to put those strategies to work. Table of Contents The Tax Code Demystified Key Components Defined Income Dependents and Filing Status The Tax Code Is Rigged Employment Income Retirement Income Other Sources of Ordinary Income Tax-Free Unordinary Income from Non-Investment Sources Tax-Free Investment Income Taxable Investment Income Deductions from Investment Income Education Investment Strategies Retirement Investment StrategiesThe Basics Retirement Investment StrategiesAlternatives Business Taxation Business Use of the Home Travel Expenses Meals, Entertainment, and Gifts Employee Benefits Employing Family Members Depreciation Real Estate Losses Real Estate Income and Deductions Second Homes and Vacation Rentals Medical and Dental Expenses Your Residence Your Children Charitable Contributions Education Expenses The Alternative Minimum Tax Penalties and Interest Do It Yourself, or Hire a Professional? Tax Implications of Health Care Reform

Tax Insight: For Tax Year 2012 will teach you to take control of life's biggest expense--taxes. In your lifetime, you will spend more money on taxes than on anything else. Despite that fact, you likely know the current prices of movies and milk but don't know what your marginal tax rate is. You know where to get the cheapest gallon of gas to save a buck or two, but you don't give a thought to the tax strategies you should be using right now that would save you thousands. Why? Is it too complicated and confusing? Too unpleasant? In Tax Insight, tax expert Casey Murdock opens up the world of taxes with amazing clarity and simplicity. As you will discover, you have within reach numerous ways to reduce your taxes. With everyday language and real-life examples, Tax Insight will give you the keys to minimizing your tax burden. This book contains information you need even if you have a tax advisor or use a program like TurboTax. Tax professionals are busy and sometimes too cautious, and programs often miss opportunities for you to save money. It's also for those of all ages and income levels, including business owners.Tax Insight: * Breaks down the key components of taxes with ease and simplicity. * Provides a roadmap to paying as little tax as possible. * Helps you know if you should do it yourself or hire a professional. While there are many encyclopedic books on taxes--like J.K. Lasser's Your Taxes--there aren't nearly enough that describe the tax code in plain language. Far more than a rehash of impenetrable IRS help documents, Tax Insights is organized the way most people think and presents ideas in clear, simple language. If you buy this book and take advantage of its advice, you will save money. What you'll learn This book will help you: * Avoid paying even a penny more in taxes than you should. * Avoid common tax strategies that could actually cost you more than they save. * Capture all of the deductions and credits that you are due. * Know whether to file your own return or hire a tax professional. * Utilize the entire year to implement tax-reducing strategies. * Understand the key components of the tax return and how they work together.* Prepare for or survive an audit * Use real estate or a small business to reduce your tax bill Who this book is for Tax Insight: For Tax Year 2012 is for the frustrated taxpayer--the taxpayer who is frustrated by paying too much, frustrated by the complexity of the tax code, or frustrated because their CPA isn't proactively helping them pay fewer taxes. Tax Insight is the perfect book for the person who is looking for a straightforward, simple explanation of the tax-saving strategies that are within reach. In an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand narrative, Tax Insight gives readers a thorough understanding of the tax strategies that apply to them and the information they need to put those strategies to work.

This book was first published in 2007. Most countries levy taxes on corporations, but the impact - and therefore the wisdom - of such taxes is highly controversial among economists. Does the burden of these taxes fall on wealthy shareowners, or is it passed along to those who work for, or buy the products of, corporations? Can a country with high corporate taxes remain competitive in the global economy? This book features research by leading economists and accountants that sheds light on these and related questions, including how taxes affect corporate dividend policy, stock market value, avoidance, and evasion. The studies promise to inform both future tax policy and regulatory policy, especially in light of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other actions by the Securities and Exchange Commission that are having profound effects on the market for tax planning and auditing in the wake of the well-publicized accounting scandals in Enron and WorldCom.

The Constitution grants Congress the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises. From the First Congress until today, conflicts over the size, role, and taxing power of government have been at the heart of national politics. This book provides a comprehensive historical account of federal tax policy that emphasizes the relationship between taxes and other components of the budget. It explains how wars, changing conceptions of the domestic role of government, and beliefs about deficits and debt have shaped the modern tax system. The contemporary focus of this book is the partisan battle over budget policy that began in the 1960s and triggered the disconnect between taxes and spending that has plagued the budget ever since. With the federal government now facing its most serious deficit and debt challenge in the modern era, partisan debate over taxation is almost completely divorced from fiscal realities. Continuing to indulge the public about the true costs of government has served the electoral interests of the parties, but it precludes honest debate about the urgent task of reconnecting taxes and budgets."