Taxes Rule!... Your Life w/ Scott Hodge #890

Oct 9, 2024

Scott Hodge, a tax policy expert with over 35 years of experience, dives into how taxes shape our daily lives in surprising ways. He highlights how tax policies influence everything from consumer choices to personal financial decisions. Discover the unintended consequences of tax legislation, the allure of alternative tax models like Estonia's, and the importance of reforming the U.S. tax system. Hodge reframes taxes as a powerful, albeit unseen, force guiding behavior and decision-making, turning a mundane topic into a must-listen discussion.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

The Hidden Hand of Tax Policy

01:53 • 20min

Tax Policies and Personal Finance

21:43 • 8min

Navigating Tax Cuts and Challenges

29:17 • 11min

Exploring Alternatives to the Current Tax System

40:41 • 5min

The Simplicity and Efficiency of the Estonian Tax Model

45:13 • 5min

Exploring the Complexities of Tax Policy

49:58 • 2min

The Impact of Tax Policy on Personal Finance Decisions

51:48 • 3min

A Toast to United: Beer Tasting and Financial Wisdom

54:36 • 3min

The reason there are so many hard seltzers on the market, the type of car you’re looking to buy, even why women wear children’s clothing – our guest today is going to share why it is in fact TAXES that are behind nearly every aspect of our lives. We’re doing a deep dive as to how taxes tend to direct our behavior and decision making in ways that most folks don’t realize, and those are just a few of the examples that we discuss today. We’re joined today by Scott Hodge who has over 35 years of tax policy experience. More recently he led the Tax Foundation, a Washington DC based think-tank, for over two decades. And today we’re going to discuss his recently published book, Taxocracy which is full of examples of how misguided tax policy has led to the world we live in today. Most people think of taxes as an annoying aspect of life, but our conversation today reframes it as another powerful invisible hand at work in the market!

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