Business views on Chairman Camp's discussion draft.

• Position: Conference news

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) invited stakeholders to analyze the discussion draft released in October 2011 [by Camp] and to provide constructive feedback on the proposals to achieve revenue-neutral tax reform. Financial Executives Research Foundation (FERF), in collaboration with Financial Executives International's (FEI) Committee on Taxation (COT), polled and interviewed senior tax executives to get their views on the discussion draft.

Among the key findings:

* Senior financial executives are attracted to the main elements of the Camp discussion draft--fiscally responsible corporate tax reform that promotes economic growth through a competitive statutory corporate tax rate and an internationally competitive participation exemption (territorial) tax system

* Senior financial executives wish to participate in the further development of these proposals and to offer their technical expertise and practical experience regarding ways to improve the U.S. tax system.

* Senior financial executives urge Congress to maintain a focus on U.S. competitiveness to ensure that any revenue-raising tax proposals do not undermine the overall goal of improving the ability of U.S. companies and workers to be globally competitive in both domestic and foreign markets.

The U.S. corporate tax system is viewed as less competitive than other countries' tax systems. A majority of tax executives polled and interviewed felt that, on average, their foreign competitors were subject to more favorable corporate tax systems in their home countries.

They pointed to lower corporate tax rates, territorial tax systems and more favorable R&D and manufacturing incentives. "I don't believe any of our competitors have a worse tax system than the U.S.," said the chief tax officer of a large multinational manufacturing company.

Corporate rate reduction and territoriality are viewed as critical components of tax reform. As discussed above, several tax executives cited lower corporate tax rates and territorial tax systems as key reasons other countries have more advantageous tax systems for business than the United States.

"I think the key for everybody is a corporate tax rate lower than 25 percent; this would help any company regardless of size," said one tax executive.

Several tax...