Question

Jurisdiction E spends approximately $7 million each winter on snow removal. The jurisdiction is considering adding a new income tax provision that would allow people to deduct the cost of snow removal equipment purchased during the year.
Jurisdiction E forecasts that the proposed change will decrease its annual tax revenues by $250,000 but will improve the jurisdiction’s financial condition by $300,000.
On what assumptions is this forecast based?

Answer 1

Answer:

'Taxes' can be defined as a compulsory contribution to the state's or country's revenues, which are levied by the governments on personal incomes of individuals or profits of the corporate, or on some transactions.

Taxes are the main source of revenues for any government, through which it receives the necessary funds to spend on various activities it undertakes for public welfare and maintaining the law and order and security of the nation.

Many theorists believe that every tax should be evaluated on certain standards and the following four standards have been mentioned for evaluating whether taxes are good or not:

1. Taxes should be sufficient to fulfill the government's requirements
2. Taxes should be convenient for the government to implement and for the citizens to pay
3. Taxes should be efficient economically
4. Taxes should be fair

There may be certain provisions introduced in the federal tax system, which are targeted to induce certain behaviors or shift people's attention towards certain activities. These provisions are called tax preferences

Does this proposed change in Jurisdiction E's tax law meet the definition of a tax preference? Explain briefly.

In the given question, the decision of the jurisdiction to give deduction to the people for the snow removal equipment they purchase, is definitely a tax preference as it induces people to invest in snow removing machines, as they are getting full deduction of such expense in income taxes.

By having this provision, the government is motivating people to invest in these machines, and people also have the benefit of having such machine with them, and also getting tax deduction for such expense, so getting such machine almost free (this applies to people who have incomes in such tax bracket only). Thus it is the way of government in encouraging people to buy snow removing machines and reduce the burden on the government. Thus it is clearly a tax preference.

Jurisdiction E forecasts that the proposed change will decrease its annual tax revenues by $250,000 but will improve the jurisdiction's financial condition by $300,000. On what assumptions is this forecast based?

The forecast regarding decrease in annual tax and improvement in financial condition is based on the assumptions of people taking benefit of such a provision, and actually investing in snow removing machines.

The jurisdiction believes that people will purchase the machines and make claims for deductions, effecting the tax revenue by $250,000. But at the same time, as many people will themselves remove the snow, the government doesn't have to spend so much on snow removal and thus make the savings of $300,000