美国有线新闻 CNN 共和党揭开税改框架面纱 欲减税并简化税制

 

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes is the text of Amendment¹ 16.

AZUZ: U.S. Tax Code has changed a lot since that amendment was ratified² in 1913. And though many lawmakers and economists³ agree, it's very complicated today, tax reform is not an easy thing to achieve. The last time it happened was in 1986.

This week, the Trump⁴ administration revealed a Republican proposal that it says would both reduce taxes and simplify the tax code. The nine-page plan is called the United Framework for Fixing Our Broken Tax Code. And one way it could simplify taxes in America is by reducing the number of income tax brackets there are.

In general, the more money Americans earn, the higher a percentage of that money they pay in taxes. The Republican plan would reduce the number of tax brackets from seven to three and lower the percentages that many Americans pay. It would increase the amount of money that people could deduct⁵ from their taxes, potentially paying less. It would increase the child tax credit, so Americans with children would pay less. And it would reduce the U.S. corporate⁶ tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, so business would pay less.

The proposal does not include some key details, like specifics income levels for the new tax brackets. Its supporters, including House Speaker Paul Ryan say the plan would help the economy, that the lower tax rate for businesses would allow them to hire more people and increase wages and that improved economic growth would mean more revenue for the government.

Income taxes make up the largest source of government revenue, about 47 percent of it, and critics say tax cuts would mean less government revenue and a greater deficit⁷. And while President Trump has said he doesn't support tax breaks for the wealthy, congressional Democrats⁸ like Senator Chuck Schumer say that's who the plan would benefit, while hurting the middle class.

The Trump administration hopes to push its tax reform plan through Congress by the end of the year.

1 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

2 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

3 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

5 deduct   

vt.扣除，减去

参考例句：

• You can deduct the twenty - five cents out of my allowance.你可在我的零用钱里扣去二角五分钱。
• On condition of your signing this contract,I will deduct a percentage.如果你在这份合同上签字，我就会给你减免一个百分比。

6 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

7 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

8 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》