In a fiscal climate where every penny counts, the rough equivalent of one-quarter of this year’s federal budget went to tax breaks known as “tax expenditures,” amounting to around 1 trillion dollars. Compared to traditional government spending through contracts and grants, tax expenditures are harder to track, subject to less congressional oversight, and caught up in ideological debates over definitions.

The Advisory Committee on Transparency’s panel of experts will explore the trillion dollar question of how tax expenditures fit into the overall budget process. Confirmed panelists include:

• William Beach, Director, Center for Data Analysis, the Heritage Foundation
• Robert Carroll, Principal, Ernst & Young’s Quantitative Economics and Statistics Group; former Vice President for Economic Policy at the Tax Foundation; former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis, Office of Tax Policy, Treasury Department
• Thomas Hungerford, Specialist in Public Finance, Congressional Research Service*
• Lori Metcalf, Project Manager, SubsidyScope, The Pew Charitable Trusts
• The Honorable Mike Quigley, Fifth District of Illinois
• Daniel Schuman, Moderator, Policy Counsel, The Sunlight Foundation
• Eric Toder, Institute Fellow, the Urban Institute; Director, Office of Research, IRS (2001-04); Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis, Treasury Department (93-96); Deputy Assistant Director for Tax Analysis, CBO (84-91); Financial economist and deputy director, Office of Tax Analysis, U.S. Treasury Department (76-84)

The discussion will take place on Monday, June 13th, at 2pm, in Rayburn 2203.

All are welcome. RSVP here.

(cross-posted at the Advisory Committee on Transparency’s website.)

*for identification purposes only