Jacob Feldman

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Jacob Feldman

  • Research Analyst

Jacob Feldman graduated from the University of Virginia in three years with a double major in economics and Jewish studies. In the summer of 2009 he worked at the Americans for Tax Reform as the Associate to the Tax Policy Director conducting research on the economic impact of health care tax initiatives. In 2011, he accepted Americans for Tax Reform's Thomas Jefferson Fellowship and returned to write "The Cost of Government Day Report" - a report examining the number of calendar days of national production required to pay off government spending and regulatory costs. In 2010, Jacob wrote briefs on the 2001 EGTRRA and 2003 EGTRRA tax cuts at the Heritage Foundation. Other occupation opportunities have included the Koch Summer Fellowship Program, a budget fellowship with Congressman Diane Black, the Miller Center for Public Affairs, and the Crystal Ball publication at Larry Sabato's Center for Politics.

During his time at Mercatus, Jacob has co-authored two papers with Jason Fichtner on federal tax reform and presented a paper on labor immigration at the 2011 Association for Private Enterprise Conference in the Bahamas. His work with the Regulatory Report Project afforded the opportunity to increase his knowledge of regulations and of using cost-benefit analysis in policy formation. His primary research interests include tax policy, budget issues, and regulatory policy.

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Published Research

The Hidden Costs of Tax Compliance

Jason J. Fichtner, Jacob Feldman | May 20, 2013
The tax code, far beyond simply collecting revenue to fund the operations of the federal government, attempts to perform policy and political functions as well. This paper does not examine the normative value of these provisions, but instead examines the hidden costs of today’s tax code: time and money spent submitting tax forms, foregone economic growth, lobbying expenditures, and gaps in revenue collection. These problems grow larger as the Internal Revenue Code becomes more complicated and temporary.[1] Based on the studies reviewed in this paper, we estimate that hidden costs range from $215 billion to $987 billion and that the tax code results in a $452 billion revenue gap in unreported taxes. The economic costs are substantial relative to the $2.45 trillion in revenues raised by the federal government in 2012.

The Costs of Tax Policy Uncertainty And the Need for Tax Reform

Seth H. Giertz, Jacob Feldman | Feb 26, 2013
The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA, P.L. 112-240) may be more significant for what it does not do than for what it does. Hopes for a ‘‘grand bargain’’ were not realized. In fact, ATRA does (almost) nothing to address the major fiscal problems that the United States continues to face.

The Economic Costs of Tax Policy Uncertainty: Implications for Fundamental Tax Reform

Seth H. Giertz, Jacob Feldman | Nov 27, 2012
A new Mercatus study suggests an additional, largely unexamined cost of the United States’ tax-policy uncertainty: “unproductive” or “destructive” entrepreneurship—the diversion of resources away from economically productive activities to the unproductive activity of lobbying for preferential tax-policy treatment.

Working Papers

Taxing Marriage: Microeconomic Behavioral Responses to the Marriage Penalty and Reforms for the 21st Century

Jason J. Fichtner, Jacob Feldman | Sep 17, 2012
Politicians often stress that marriage is a key institution that promotes family values. However, many aspects of the federal tax code do not promote marriage and may in fact provide disincentives and penalize marriage. As more women enter the labor force and female wages rise, the marriage penalty becomes increasingly important to horizontal tax equity concerns and for economic growth. Today, the United States is one of only seven Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries to employ joint taxation for married couples.1…

When are Tax Expenditures Really Spending?

Jason J. Fichtner, Jacob Feldman | Nov 14, 2011
This working paper explores how unchecked tax expenditures obscure honest public-policy conversations about the size of government.

Lessons from the 1986 Tax Reform Act

Jason J. Fichtner, Jacob Feldman | Apr 12, 2011
This paper looks at the 1986 Tax Reform Act and the lessons for current policymakers.

Media Clippings

GHEI: Taxing Marriage

Jason J. Fichtner, Jacob Feldman | Sep 26, 2012
Outlet: The Washington Times

How Much will the Obama EPA Increase the Cost of Government?

Jacob Feldman | Aug 12, 2011
Outlet: Big Government

Government consumes Americans' earnings

Jacob Feldman | Aug 11, 2011
Outlet: The Hill

Expert Commentary

Businesses Are Spending on Lobbying Instead of Jobs

U.S. News and World Report
By Jacob Feldman |
Dec 11, 2012

It's well known that economic uncertainty slows growth, decreases investment, and destroys jobs. But a new study identifies an additional cost of uncertainty: businesses are diverting money away from expanding and hiring to lobbying Washington for preferential tax treatment. And with good reason. As tax increases loom over the fiscal cliff and beyond, many businesses may get more bang-for-the-buck hiring well-connected lobbyists than innovative engineers.

The Fiscal Cliff, Policy Uncertainty and Tax Reform

The Hill
By Seth H. Giertz, Jacob Feldman |
Dec 01, 2012

In recent decades, Congress has passed a series of budget control acts intended to impose discipline on the budget process. These acts, by encouraging policy phase-ins, phase-outs and expiration dates, have had the unintended consequence of policy uncertainty.

Eliminate the Marriage Tax Penalty

U.S. News and World Report
By Jason J. Fichtner, Jacob Feldman |
Sep 18, 2012

Ideally, marriage should be treated in a tax neutral manner from a financial and labor perspective. At a minimum, married taxpayers should be given the freedom to choose which tax status is best for them.

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