Comprehensive Income Taxation: A Response

In an earlier article, Professor Bittker argued that the Haig-Simonseconomic definition of income would not be a useful basis for incometax reform because it yields no help in dealing with many of themost vexing problems, because its no preference approach wouldlead to sweeping changes which would be unacceptable even to itsadvocates, and because it gives no assistance in determining themerits of suggested preferences or exceptions to its sweepinginclusions. Professor Musgrave and Dr. Pechman in the Novemberissue, and Dean Galvin in this issue, defended the conceptas a useful basis for tax reform, rejecting Professor Bittker\u27s ad hocapproach. This is Professor Bittker\u27s answer to their challenges