Revenue Estimating Methodology

The Joint Committee Staff is responsible for providing the U.S. Congress with the budgetary effects of all tax legislation. The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 stipulates that revenue estimates provided by the Joint Committee Staff will be the official estimates for all tax legislation considered by the Congress. In order to fulfill its objective of providing budgetary effects of revenue legislation, the Joint Committee Staff employs Ph.D. economists, attorneys, and accountants (see about us page). The objective of the estimating process is to produce accurate, consistent, fair, and impartial estimates that can be relied upon by Members of Congress in making legislative decisions.

Over time, the Joint Committee Staff has published documents that discuss in detail the methodologies, data, and procedures that are used to produce revenue estimates. These pamphlets are listed below.

Inside the JCT Revenue Estimating Process (January 29, 2008)
A presentation by the Chief of Staff of the Joint Committee On Taxation, Edward Kleinbard, to the New York State Bar Association on January 29, 200...
JCX-101-07 (October 19, 2007)
Modeling the Federal Revenue Effects of Proposed Changes in Cigarette Excise Taxes.
JCX-17-07 (March 20, 2007)
Estimating The Revenue Effects Of The Administration's Fiscal Year 2008 Proposal Providing A Standard Deduction For Health Insu...
JCX-1-05 (February 02, 2005)
Overview Of Revenue Estimating Procedures And Methodologies Used By The Staff Of The Joint Committee On Taxation
JCX-36-02 (May 06, 2002)
Written Testimony Of The Staff Of The Joint Committee On Taxation At A Hearing Of The Subcommittee On Oversight Of The House Committee On Ways And ...
JCX-2-95 (January 23, 1995)
Methodology And Issues In The Revenue Estimating Process Scheduled for a Hearing Before the Senate Committee on Finance on January 24, 1995
JCX-1-95 (January 09, 1995)
Written Testimony Of The Staff Of The Joint Committee On Taxation Regarding The Revenue Estimating Process for the Joint Hearing of the House and S...
JCS-14-92 (August 13, 1992)
Discussion Of Revenue Estimation Methodology And Process
JCS-12-90 (March 27, 1990)
Explanation Of Methodology Used To Estimate Proposals Affecting The Taxation Of Income From Capital Gains
JCX-3-89 (March 14, 1989)
Statement of Ronald A. Pearlman Chief of Staff Joint Committee on Taxation Before the Senate Committee on Finance

 

The majority of documents published by the Committee are presented in a portable document format, or PDF. You may need to install a viewer in order to access these types of documents.