A GILTI High-Tax Exclusion Election Would Erode the U.S. Tax Base

Abstract

This article is slightly edited from a public comment letter originally submitted to Treasury and the IRS. The article argues that the proposed elective expansion of a high-tax exclusion from the reach of GILTI is inconsistent with the statute, loses revenue, and exacerbates the TCJA’s failure to allocate and disallow expenses incurred to earn foreign income exempted from U.S. taxation. The article explains that allowing a deduction for expenses incurred to earn exempt foreign income is a subsidy for the foreign investment. Taxation of the income to which the expense would be allocated by another country does not alter the character of the expense allowance, against other taxable income, as an unjustified subsidy by U.S. taxpayers of U.S. multinationals’ foreign investments.