,An Unwise Deal: Why Eliminating The Income Limit On Roth IRA's Is Too Steep A Price To Pay For A Refundable Saver's Credit

An Unwise Deal: Why Eliminating The Income Limit On Roth IRA's Is Too Steep A Price To Pay For A Refundable Saver's Credit


 

Publication Date: June 2004

Publisher: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (Washington, D.C.)

Author(s): Peter R. Orszag; William G. Gale

Research Area: Banking and finance

Keywords: Tax code; Income diversity; Household income; Economic inequality

Type: Report

Abstract:

Some House members are apparently considering a deal under which substantial new tax subsidies for saving would be provided to high-income households in exchange for a much less costly expansion of saving tax incentives for low- and moderate-income workers. In particular, the deal is said to involve eliminating the existing income limit on Roth IRAs in exchange for making the saver’s credit refundable. The terms of this deal are heavily tilted toward high-income households, which is precisely the opposite of the direction that sound pension policy should be moving.