WHO: American University experts from the Kogod School of Business and the School of Public Affairs

WHAT: American University experts are available to discuss a wide range of topics related to the tax reform proposed by President Trump and the GOP, including impacts on small business and women business owners, and inequality, and corporate tax evasion.

WHEN: November 17, 2017 – ongoing

WHERE: On campus, in-studio, via email, telephone or Skype

Experts Available:

Caroline Bruckner is the managing director of the Kogod Tax Policy Center. In this capacity, she has testified before both U.S. House and Senate Congressional committees as well as the IRS, and recently released ground-breaking research on the tax compliance challenges of the small business owners powering the sharing economy as well as the tax challenges facing women entrepreneurs. Her latest research, “Billion Dollar Blind Spot: How the U.S. Tax Code's Small Business Expenditures Impact Women Business Owners,” examines the challenges women business owners face with the current tax code.

Bradley Hardy is an associate professor in the School of Public Affairs. He is available to discuss issues related to poverty policy, labor economics, economic instability, intergenerational mobility, and socio-economic outcomes. He is nonresident senior fellow in Economic Studies at The Brookings Institution.

Mark (Shuai) Ma is a professor in the Kogod School of Business’ Department of Accounting and Taxation. His latest research, “Legal Environment and Corporate Tax Avoidance: Evidence from State Tax Codes” is a coauthored study that argues that harsh criminal penalties, as opposed to civil penalties, are the answer to deter corporate tax evasion. “From a policy perspective, the implication is that if the costs of implementing the two penalties are equal, authorities should favor criminal penalties on officers over civil penalties on the corporation,” Ma says.

Donald Williamson is the Howard S. Dvorkin Faculty Fellow and the executive director of the Kogod Tax Policy Center at American University. Williamson is also the director of the Masters in Taxation program at the Kogod School of Business at American University. He has written and served as a media expert on tax reform and how the current tax code impacts small businesses.

To secure an interview with these experts, please email [email protected] or call AU Communications at 202-885-5950.

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American University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the United States and nearly 130 countries. Located in Washington, D.C., the university provides opportunities for academic excellence, public service, and internships in the nation’s capital and around the world.