FEDERALhearing transcript

Senate Finance Committee Hearing on Tax Fairness

Original title: FAIRNESS IN TAXATION

January 1, 2016

taxation tax reform economic policy finance committee

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing served as a foundational discussion for potential federal , exploring how the government defines fairness when setting tax rates and rules for different types of taxpayers.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

U.S. Taxpayers

Any changes to the tax code resulting from these discussions would alter the tax obligations or benefits for all individual and corporate taxpayers.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2016.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on March 3, 2015, to discuss the concept of 'fairness' in the U.S. tax code. The session featured testimony from economic experts and journalists regarding how can be structured to treat taxpayers equitably.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on March 3, 2015, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
The hearing focused on the principle of 'fairness' as one of three pillars for tax reform, alongside efficiency and simplicity.
Chairman Hatch defined tax fairness as treating similarly situated taxpayers similarly, without picking winners and losers.
The committee heard testimony from four witnesses: Lawrence B. Lindsey, Deroy Murdock, Heather Boushey, and Steven Rattner.
The hearing was part of a series of sessions regarding comprehensive tax reform, following a previous hearing on efficiency and growth.
The committee received written statements and responses to questions from all four witnesses for the official record.

Why It Matters

This hearing served as a foundational discussion for potential federal , exploring how the government defines fairness when setting tax rates and rules for different types of taxpayers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of this hearing?

The hearing was held to gather expert testimony on how to define and achieve 'fairness' in the U.S. tax code as part of broader efforts to reform tax laws.

Did this hearing result in any new tax laws?

No, this was a committee hearing for discussion and testimony; it did not result in the passage of legislation.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Lobbying Activity

RON TABACZYNSKI

on behalf of BUILDING OWNERS AND MANAGERS ASSOCIATION OF CHICAGO

Senate LDAView filing →

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Focus on 1986 Principles

The committee explicitly framed its 2015 reform efforts around the three principles established during the 1986 tax reform: efficiency, fairness, and simplicity.

Senate Committee on Finance

Connected Entities

personHeather Boushey“Witness, Executive Director of Washington Center for Equitable Growth”Map →

personOrrin G. Hatch“Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee”Map →

personRon Wyden“Ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee”Map →

personDeroy Murdock“Witness, journalist and Atlas Network fellow”Map →

personLawrence B. Lindsey“Witness, President and CEO of The Lindsey Group”Map →

organizationSenate Committee on Finance“Congressional committee overseeing tax legislation”Map →

personSteven Rattner“Witness, Chairman of Willett Advisors LLC”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance40
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

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