Adam N. Michel
Adam N. Michel and Joshua Loucks
President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on lowering the US corporate income tax rate to 15 percent. He made the same request in 2017 when Republicans passed their tax cuts, but Congress only cut the federal rate to 21 percent—down from the worldwide high of 35 percent.
Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggest that cutting corporate taxes in 2025 will likely not result in steep revenue losses. Additionally, more competitive business taxes will make America an even more attractive destination for global investment and workforce expansion. Congress should deliver on Trump’s promise or eliminate the tax entirely.
Lower Corporate Tax Rate, Higher Revenue?
Lower corporate income tax rates encourage investment, increase productivity, expand job opportunities, and attract internationally mobile corporate profits. In many cases, cutting the corporate tax rate does not reduce revenue; it may increase it.
When Ireland cut its corporate tax, revenue increased. Its corporate tax rate went from 40 percent in 1994 to 12.5 percent by 2003. Since 1993, Irish corporate tax revenue as a share of the economy has increased by 75 percent (2.1 percentage points).
In 2023, Ireland raised about $5,000 per person in corporate tax revenue, more than double the OECD average.[1] Figure 1 shows that the US only raised $1,700 per person despite a much higher tax rate of 25.6 percent (federal plus state taxes). This is not exactly a fair comparison because 60 percent of US business income is taxed under the individual tax system. Adjusting for this difference, US corporate revenues are still below Ireland’s but likely above the OECD average.
Ireland’s commitment to a low corporate tax rate and other business-friendly policies have made it a haven for global businesses looking to escape the high taxes worldwide. According to one estimate, as much as 86 percent of Ireland’s corporate tax revenue is paid by foreign multinationals. » Read More
https://www.cato.org/blog/case-trumps-15-percent-corporate-tax-rate