House Bill 998 hasn’t become law yet, and already the tax reform plan is drawing favorable reviews. In The Weekly Standard, longtime JLF friend (and frequent headliner) Fred Barnes blogged:
The [2012] GOP landslide brought with it expectations for serious achievements, notably tax reform. The squabble over tax cuts threatened to dash those hopes. It also created Republican unity to break down, at least temporarily.
The tax accord is likely to lessen fears of disunity.
Meantime, Forbes finance writer Ashlea Ebeling views aspects of the package as “Three New Tax Reasons To Retire To North Carolina.” She cites the reduction in personal income tax rates, the abolition of the death tax, and the decision to leave Social Security benefits untaxed as factors potential retirees should consider. She also cautions that the plan’s cap on the deductibility of mortgage interest and property taxes may bring pause to “real-estate hungry retirees … unless you’re rich enough to pay cash.”
My best guess is that we’ll see more of these from the political and financial press.