The Archives

The collection of all scholarly commentary on law, economics, and more

Showing archive for:  “Tax”

Lawyers as sponges and thieves

Andy Kessler writes in Thursday’s WSJ:  With a heavy regulatory burden, payroll taxes and health-care costs, employing people is very expensive. * * * Tellers, phone operators, stock brokers, stock traders: These jobs are nearly extinct. Since 2007, the New York Stock Exchange has eliminated 1,000 jobs. And when was the last time you spoke ... Lawyers as sponges and thieves

Exit and voice in Illinois

Illinois politicians, many of whom had already been voted out of office, as their last act in the old session yesterday raised the state’s individual and corporate taxes 67% and 45% to try to bail Illinois out of the results of their fiscal profligacy. Remember that the voters who elected this gang were the same ones ... Exit and voice in Illinois

Tax

Ginsburg and Wright on A Taxonomy of Behavioral Law and Economics Skepticism

The behavioral economics research agenda is an ambitious one for several reasons.  The first reason is that behavioral economics requires a theory “true” preferences aside from – and in opposition to — the “revealed” preferences of the decision maker.  A second reason is that while collecting and documenting individual biases in an ad hoc fashion ... Ginsburg and Wright on A Taxonomy of Behavioral Law and Economics Skepticism

Free to Choose? A Symposium on Behavioral Law and Economics

Mark your calendars!  Truth on the Market will be holding a two day symposium on behavioral law and economics and its implications on December 6th and 7th.  We’ve got a great lineup of participants confirmed — and several invitations pending.  We’ll have more announcements as we get closer to the date.    Stay tuned. Free ... Free to Choose? A Symposium on Behavioral Law and Economics

Mankiw on taxing the rich

I suppose that the Obama tax plan is something this blog should stay away from.  But I can’t resist a note on Mankiw’s NYT column.  Mankiw makes all the “correct” disclaimers:  he’s being “narcissistic,” yes he can “afford to pay more in taxes,” “I don’t have trouble making ends meet,” “I am almost completely sated.”  ... Mankiw on taxing the rich

Tax

Cooper and Wright Working Paper Cited in Congressional CARE Act Hearing

I’ve mentioned the CARE Act previously (here and here).  On Wednesday, the House Committee on Courts and Competition held a hearing on the revised CARE Act — which would effectively immunize a host of anticompetitive state alcohol regulations from challenge.  The policy tradeoffs here are that the higher prices and reduced consumption associated with competitive ... Cooper and Wright Working Paper Cited in Congressional CARE Act Hearing

The Law and Economics of Privatizing Alcohol Sales

Economist and occasional TOTM guest blogger Steve Salop (Georgetown) recently sent me the following questions spurred by the local debate over Governor McConnell’s proposal to private the retailing of alcoholic beverages: I have my first antitrust class of the semester tomorrow.  Among the issues I teach the first week are (1) the fact that demand ... The Law and Economics of Privatizing Alcohol Sales

“The Next Big Thing Will Not Be Invented Here”

Intel Chairman and CEO Paul Otellini recently gave the keynote address at the Technology Policy Institute’s Aspen Forum on the US regulation environment and its effect of innovation and economic growth (HT: CNET, WSJ).  The speech got some play in the media because of its overall depressing tone for the US, and its frank criticism ... “The Next Big Thing Will Not Be Invented Here”

To Slice or Not To Slice; a Taxing Question

Earlier this week, the WSJ reported on a nuance in the New York state tax code that has come take a bite out of at least one bagel company’s profits, and it illustrates how the complexities of arbitrary taxation schemes can rear their ugly heads and create incentives–and challenges–for consumers and sellers alike that would ... To Slice or Not To Slice; a Taxing Question

Tax

The CARE Act and State Regulation of Alcohol Distribution: The Competitive and Social Effects of Post and Hold Laws

In an earlier post on the CARE Act, I highlighted the fact that the law would essentially immunize state laws regulating the distribution and sale of beer, wine and liquor wholesalers from challenge under the Commerce clause and the Sherman Act.  For more details on the CARE Act, see the earlier post, but the bottom ... The CARE Act and State Regulation of Alcohol Distribution: The Competitive and Social Effects of Post and Hold Laws

More on getting rid of LLC fiduciary duties

I have frequently discussed the ongoing jurisprudential drama in Delaware on how firms can avoid fiduciary duties. The basic setup here is that Delaware allows LLCs and other unincorporated firms to completely eliminate fiduciary duties. But they have to do it carefully. Here’s my most recent discussion of the state of play on what that ... More on getting rid of LLC fiduciary duties

Paul Krugman spouting nonsense

In this morning’s New York Times, Professor Paul Krugman laments the state of America, and, as a remedy, proposes . . . surprise! . . .  more government spending. He writes: “When we save a schoolteacher’s job, that unambiguously aids employment; when we give millionaires more money instead, there’s a good chance that most of ... Paul Krugman spouting nonsense