In the News

An unfortunately high number of Americans will allow party loyalty to guide their support or rejection of the GOP tax bill awaiting congressional approval. The 440-page House tax bill, approved Nov. 16, merits skepticism regardless of which party you support.

Tom Barthold, the nonpartisan chief of staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, briefed the House Ways and Means Committee on Nov. 6, highlighting just a few of the deductions that corporations would retain under the bill while the rest of us would see deductions disappear.

“Will a teacher in my district who buys pens, pencils, paper for his students be able to deduct these costs from his tax returns under this plan?” Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., asked Barthold.

Barthold responded stiffly that the House tax plan “would repeal the above-the line deduction for teacher expenses.” What if a corporation spent money on pencils and paper for its workers, DelBene countered. The corporate expense remains deductible, Barthold replied.

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