Taxes in America

Despite their passion and fury, contemporary Americans are remarkably clueless about how their tax system works. But with heated debates over taxation now roiling Congress and the nation, an understanding of the American tax system is of vital importance. Taxes in America, by preeminent tax scholars Leonard E. Burman and Joel Slemrod, offers a clear, concise explanation of how the American tax system works, how it affects people and businesses, and how it might be improved. Accessibly written and organized in a clear, question-and-answer format, the book describes the intricacies of the modern tax system in an easy-to-grasp manner. Burman and Slemrod begin with the basic definitions of taxes and then delve into more complicated and indeed contentious concerns. They address such questions as how to recognize Fool's Gold tax reform plans. How much more tax could the IRS collect with better enforcement? How do tax burdens vary around the world? Why do corporations pay so little tax, even though they earn trillions of dollars every year? And what kind of tax system is most conducive to economic growth?
"A valuable new primer on the nation's wild and crazy revenue system. Taxes in America is a clear, concise, and easy-to-read tour of the U.S. revenue system. It is written in a simple question-and-answer format, and does a nice job of breaking down complex tax theory into bite-sized understandable chunks. If you find yourself baffled by the politicians' arguments over tax rates and "loopholes" or about the various forms of tax reforms that are floating around, Taxes in America will help you understand what it is that lawmakers are about to do to you."--Forbes

"This is an excellent, understandable book on a topic important to a wide rangeof library patrons."--Library Journal

"Burman and Slemrod bring their wealth of experience and scholarship to the task of helping the American taxpayer and voter understand the language of taxation--to distinguish the marriage bonus from bonus depreciation and transfer pricing from transfer payments. The authors' comprehensive yet comprehensible tour of the US tax system will promote readers' understanding of the taxes we pay and the policy choices we confront." -- Alan J. Auerbach, Robert D. Burch Professor of Economics and Law, University of California, Berkeley

"This is an excellent, understandable book on a topic important to a wide range of library patrons."-- BOOKLIST

"As America gears up to debate fundamental tax reform again, two of the giants of the field have laid out everything you need to know in order to understand what reform means and why it matters-how the tax system works, who pays and how inefficient it is. If every policy maker in America read this book, the tax code would probably look a lot different." -- Austan Goolsbee, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Former Chairman, Council of Economic Advisors