1.The 1986 legislation has reduced the rate of corporation tax from 46 to 34 percent, repealed the investment credit, and tightened the definition of taxable income, including in particular a reform of depreciation rules.
2.Thecorporation tax has been of declining importance as a source of revenue.
3.The corporation tax covers only part of all capital income, but unlike the personal income tax base, the bulk of taxable profits is received by a small number of very large corporations.
In assessing the role of the corporation tax in the good tax structure, we have distingguished between a view of this tax as an absolute tax on corporations as such and its role in integrating the taxation of corporate-source income under the individual income tax. As a basis for an absolute corporation tax, it might be argued that:
4.Corporations should be charged for benefits received from public services.Such a tax,however,would be smaller in amount than the traditional corporation tax and also different in form.
5.Various regulatory uses of taxation with regard to controlling size or monopoly power might be made but would also call for different forms of taxes.The case for corporate taxation as a major revenue source must be based on it is role as an ability-to-pay tax.Here we have drawn these conclusion: