Taxation: Myths and Realities. A Courses by Newspaper Reader.

This reader is one of two supplementary materials for a newspaper course about taxation and tax reform. Five units contain 75 primary-source readings about topics such as tax loopholes, social security financing, income tax reform, the impact of taxes on the economy, and alternatives to the property tax. Sources include government publications, reports by independent research organizations, scholarly journals, newspapers, and conference proceedings. Unit one, "The Uses and Abuses of Taxation," presents readings about public versus private policy, international tax comparisons, tax legislative processes, the role of the president in tax reform, goals of taxation, the equal treatment principle, tax shelters, and loopholes. Unit two, "Taxes and the Economy," explores tax rates and consumer spending, problems with social security taxes, accelerated depreciation and tax credits as investment incentives, and tax policy as a weapon against inflation. Unit three, "Federal Tax Problems and Policy Options," reviews taxation of capital gains, personal and corporate income taxes, penalties on married workers, consumption and net worth taxation, opinions on a tax cut, and issues of tax reform. Unit four, "State and Local Tax Problems and Policy Options," examines the property tax, real property exemptions, local sales and income taxes, revenue sharing, and special federal aid to cities. Unit five "Tax Reform: Myth or Reality?," focuses on possibilities of tax reform. Readings explore alternative federal revenue sources and the politics and ethics of tax reform. (AV)