Posts Tagged: tax

Going Green While We’re In The Red

Although our economy remains to be weak, there’s one bright side to this – U.S. solar power companies have increased their revenue by 36% last year, while adding 17,000 jobs. Why the sunny outlook for this business sector? Grants and tax breaks which were included in the economic stimulus bill. If the government extended thisRead… Read more »

President’s Budget Proposal Continues to Delay Taking a Closer Look at Tax Breaks

In recent hearings before the House Budget Committee, both Peter Orszag (OMB Director) and Jeffrey Zients (OMB Chief Performance Officer) have acknowledged the need to scrutinize “tax expenditures” — i.e. special tax breaks aimed at achieving specific policy goals. Mr. Zients even went so far as to express “100% agreement” with the notion of evaluatingRead… Read more »

Government Performance & the Tax Code

It’s time for the federal government to finally follow through on its long-unfulfilled promise to evaluate the usefulness of special tax breaks. Does the research and experimentation tax credit, for example, actually encourage research? Or does it simply enrich high-tech firms? Does the mortgage interest deduction increase homeownership, or does it only reward people whoRead… Read more »

Tax Credit for Adding Staff — The Answer to Job Creation?

Looks like there’s been talk again in the last couple of weeks to implement a strategy used by the Carter administration in the late 1970’s — offer employers a tax credit for each full-time hire they make! Evidently there’s more than one proposal which are getting bipartisan support in Congress. Probably due to the factRead… Read more »