Revenue Neutral: A Comprehensive Guide to Its Legal Meaning
Definition & Meaning
The term revenue neutral refers to tax law changes that do not affect the total revenue collected by the government. In essence, a tax proposal is considered revenue neutral if it neither increases nor decreases the overall tax revenue when compared to existing laws. For example, a revenue neutral change might lower taxes for individuals while increasing taxes for corporations, balancing the overall revenue impact.
Legal Use & context
Revenue neutral concepts are commonly used in tax law and fiscal policy discussions. They are particularly relevant when drafting legislation aimed at reforming tax systems without altering the total revenue collected. Legal professionals often engage with this term when advising clients on tax strategies or when participating in legislative processes. Users can manage some aspects of tax proposals through legal forms and templates provided by services like US Legal Forms.
Real-world examples
Here are a couple of examples of abatement:
One example of a revenue neutral tax change is the Tax Reform Act of 1986, which included provisions that increased revenue from certain sources while decreasing it from others, ensuring that the overall revenue remained unchanged.
(hypothetical example) A state may propose a tax plan that lowers income taxes for small businesses while simultaneously increasing sales taxes, aiming to keep the total revenue stable.