An analysis
of House Republicans’ tax and retirement policy proposals by Neuberger Berman
indicates fundamental tax reform is unlikely, but portends smaller changes.
Fundamental
tax reform is “politically unlikely” and would largely depend on one party
controlling the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the presidency, says
Neuberger Berman.
However,
the firm says corporate tax reform is more likely considering “bipartisan
agreement that something should be down about it.”
Republicans
in the House of Representatives led by House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin),
propose that the Committee on Ways and Means create more general savings
vehicles and “consolidate and reform different retirement savings provisions …to
provide effective and efficient incentives for savings and investment.”
One
such vehicle, Neuberger Berman points out, may be a Universal Savings Account
in which account holders could contribute cash and withdrawal contributions as
well as earnings at any time without penalty, while having full control of their
investments.
The
House Republicans’ proposal on “Poverty, Opportunity, and Upward Mobility”
includes a section on “Building Retirement Security through the Private
Retirement System.” This section advocates for open Multiple Employer Plans(MEP)s to make it easier for companies to band together and offer 401(k)s,
something which has wide support. According
to Neuberger Berman, “small ball” proposals, such as MEPs may also be possible
granted the administration of whichever party wins in November would support
them or “at least be prepared to accept them.”
House
Republicans’ proposals to lower individual-level taxes on investments income
would make 401(k)s marginally less attractive, the paper says. However, it also
points that House Republicans’ proposal to lower the corporate tax would
“increase returns for all savers, regardless if they are saving inside a plan
or outside a plan.”
The
proposal also calls for the protection of access to affordable retirement
advice. The firm says this proposal appears to be advocating “rejection” or
Congressional repeal of the Department of Labor (DOL)’s recent Conflict of Interest,
or fiduciary, rule.
NEXT: The
PBGC
House
Republicans are also urging Congress to avoid a tax-payer bailout of the
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) arguing that the organization is
facing “huge deficits” and that the “PBGC’s financial crisis poses a grave risk
to taxpayers and undermines the retirement security of all workers and retirees
enrolled in defined benefit plans.”
In
recent years, Congress has increased the PBGC premiums several times in order to
offset increased deficits; most recently increasing premiums through 2025 by
$7.65 billion in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015.
The
House GOP is urging Congress to “set premium levels that reflect PBGC’s
financial needs, protecting retirees and finally ending the threat of a
taxpayer bailout.”
However, the firm notes
that the proposal “does not draw a clear distinction between the financial
condition of the single-employer and multiemployer PBGC programs.” Neuberger
Berman says it’s not clear whether House Republicans are willing to raise
single-employer premiums despite widespread criticism, or if they are considering
using the single-employer fund to bail out the multiemployer fund.
NEXT: Consumption
Tax
Moreover,
the firm says the House Republicans’ proposals “broadly endorse a consumption
tax concept,” in which consumption is defined as income minus savings and
investments.
In
broad terms, the proposals aim to lower the corporate tax to 20% based on
location of consumption rather than location of production. Generally in this
scenario, business imports would be taxed because they would be “consumed” in
the U.S., while business exports would not be taxed because they would be
consumed outside the country.