David Kamin

@davidkamin.bsky.social

Charles L. Denison Professor of Law, NYU School of Law; Faculty Co-Director of ‪@taxlawcenter.org‬; Former Biden White House and Obama White House

New paper on importance, challenges, and goals of progressive tax reform published in @taxnotes.com and now available outside paywall here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Tax Reform After the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

<p>In this report, Kamin <span>explains how political </span><span>patterns over the past </span><span>several decades could </span><span>lo

papers.ssrn.com

David Kamin@davidkamin.bsky.social · 9mo ago

New paper on tax reform in wake of OBBBA is out this week in @taxnotes.com. While that bill is (rightly) unpopular, risk that regressive and complex changes end up living on in years ahead if we follow past patterns. Paper begins to sketch out paths for progressive tax reform.

Sharing a new paper forthcoming in Harv. J. on Legislation. Takes a step back to ask when policymakers enact a new spending program or a tax cut, who pays for the policy? Policymakers may not say or, even if they do, what they say may not be the ultimate financing. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Distribution Reimagined: Determining a Policy's Ultimate Financing

Policymakers are considering enacting either a new spending program or a tax cut. Who pays for the policy? The answer to that question is central to understandi

papers.ssrn.com

THREAD: GOP Senators say they're trying to scale back the SALT cap relief in the House bill. But could the approach to SALT in the Senate bill actually end up *more* generous & costly overall than the House bill? Do Senators – or does anyone – even know, despite the intense political focus on SALT?

More from @taxlawcenter.org on House reconciliation bill. (1) Close reading of bill shows text curtails SALT cap workarounds for all biz (including 199A biz). That’s good news IF it sticks. (2) OTOH, bill slashes clean energy credits and imposes unworkable red tape. Bad news.

THREAD: the Ways & Means bill creates new opportunities for tax avoidance and evasion, adds complexity to the tax system, and increases filing burdens for low- & moderate-income families. My @taxlawcenter.org colleagues have more analysis coming, but here's a starter list (suggestions welcome):

(1) There’s a lot in W+Ms draft bill. We knew it'd be losing trillions of $$$ and in regressive fashion. But provisions also pick winners+losers often in unjustified ways and give us an (even more) swiss cheese tax system that’d generally be harder to administer and unfair in new ways.

(1) The Trump administration bears responsibility for the economic pain and chaos that will come from its tariffs. And charts like this from @budgetlab.bsky.social show the regressive effects. But, I want to talk about the responsibility now of the other two branches: Congress and the courts.

Bild

(1) The CR is a bad bill (see large & pointless cut to DC funding). But, I want to focus on what it does not do: it does not authorize the lawless actions of Trump admin to unilaterally slash agencies’ budgets. Those acts remain lawless and should continue to be fought in court.

The giant cut in IRS is effectively a tax cut disproportionately for top of income spectrum and done in worst possible way-a reward to aggressive tax positions and lawbreaking-and demoting top lawyer risks IRS itself not following the laws on the books. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Top IRS lawyer pushed aside as DOGE seeks records and 20 percent staff cuts

The acting chief counsel of the IRS has been removed from his position as Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service seeks access to sensitive taxpayer records, according to people familiar with the matter.

washingtonpost.com

Bill Paul is an extraordinary public servant who served as Acting Chief Counsel under 3 administrations, including Trump I. I fear what this signals given DOGE’s push for IRS to approve extraordinarily broad sharing of taxpayers’ confidential data across federal agencies. 1/3

Jacob Bogage@jacobbogage.bsky.social · last yr.

🚨 News: Trump administration pushes aside top IRS lawyer as DOGE seeks sweeping access to tax records Scoop via me + @jeffstein.bsky.social & WaPo team...

If the Administration’s new appointee for the top IRS lawyer accedes to DOGE requests for extraordinarily broad access to confidential taxpayer information despite the law, taxpayers’ data and their rights will be at risk of large-scale breach and abuse.

Jeff Stein@jeffstein.bsky.social · last yr.

BREAKING: Trump team has removed the top IRS attorney as career staff resist demands to give DOGE access to sensitive taxpayer records, multiple sources say DHS has sought home addresses of undocumented immigrants who pay taxes W/ @jacobbogage.bsky.social & co

(1) Slashing the IRS in half by executive fiat would be contrary to law – Congress sets the magnitude of tax services and enforcement – and fundamentally undermines the fair implementation tax system established under the law. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/u...

Trump Administration Pushes to Slash I.R.S. Work Force in Half

Losing half of its employees would severely strap the I.R.S., meaning Americans may have to wait longer to receive tax refunds.

nytimes.com