Keeping Your Enemies Closer: Revolutionizing Tax Law and Enforcement with Intellectual Property Rights

Abstract

In recent years politicians have spoken frequently about tax reform. During the 2012 presidential campaign, both Democrats and Republicans discussed the need for change in this area. During his second term, President Barack Obama has urged Congress to close the "loopholes" in the Internal Revenue Code ("Code"). Ultimately, any tax reform will involve difficult changes that will create both winners and losers. But there is one source of tax revenue loss that few straight-faced policymakers can justify: abusive corporate tax shelters.