{"id":80678,"date":"2025-03-07T07:15:21","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T07:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.taxresearch.org.uk\/Blog\/?p=80678"},"modified":"2025-03-07T07:15:21","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T07:15:21","slug":"someone-needs-to-tell-trump-that-taxes-need-to-be-certain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taxresearch.org.uk\/Blog\/2025\/03\/07\/someone-needs-to-tell-trump-that-taxes-need-to-be-certain\/","title":{"rendered":"Someone needs to tell Trump that taxes need to be certain"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have questioned the merits of Adam Smith's four supposed principles<\/a> of taxation in the past<\/a>, but would agree with one of them. That one is the suggestion that tax should be predictable, or certain.<\/p>\n

And then, inevitably, we get to Trump.<\/p>\n

About a month ago, there were going to be tariffs on Mexico and Canada.<\/p>\n

They were, however, delayed.<\/p>\n

Then they were threatened again.<\/p>\n

Then they were going to start this week.<\/p>\n

And now that is not going to be the case, apparently.<\/p>\n

For how long this will be the case, no one knows.<\/p>\n

You literally can't manage anything like this, let alone an international tax system with massive impacts on trade.<\/p>\n

The reality is that all Trump is proving himself to be is an absolutely appalling manager, let alone politician.<\/p>\n

In the face of this turmoil, indecision, uncertainty and straightforward mess, the American economy - and its people - will suffer very badly.<\/p>\n

As far as I can see, his goal is to achieve MASA - Making America Shit Again. It's not a word I usually use here, but it seems totally appropriate. Nothing else can be the outcome of this.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have questioned the merits of Adam Smith’s four supposed principles of taxation in the past, but would agree with one of them. That one
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