The President’s Tax Cuts for Dividends and Personal Saving

The Bush administration has proposed a number of reforms that would reduce the taxation of personal savings. One proposal would eliminate the double taxation of dividends with an individual exclusion. That would be coupled with a mechanism to eliminate the double taxation of retained corporate earnings. Some tax experts have suggested an alternative reform that would allow corporations a deduction for dividends paid. The administration has also proposed that savings vehicles used for retirement and other purposes be restructured to include new Employer Retirement Savings Accounts, Retirement Savings Accounts, and Lifetime Savings Accounts. Four experts on federal taxation will critique the Bush proposals and suggest other tax reform options.