Energy Tomorrow Blog
Intangible Costs, Real Benefits
energy investment cost recovery intangible drilling costs tax policy oil and natural gas development
Mark Green
Posted September 18, 2014
Since its inception the U.S. tax code has allowed taxpayers to recover business costs and be taxed only on net income – the idea being that quick recovery of costs would help spur reinvestment and support business expansion. This, in turn, boosts the economy and serves the national interest.
It is working in energy. Because of the cost of drilling wells and the need to invest in a depleting asset, cost recovery and reinvestment is an important part of the reason America has an energy revolution today. Mechanisms like the one for intangible drilling costs (IDC) help support the entrepreneurial risk-taking and investment that keep the revolution going.
Revisiting Energy and Taxes
tax rates intangible drilling costs cost recovery investment jobs creation economic growth
Mark Green
Posted August 6, 2014
America’s oil and natural gas industry sends an average of $85 million a day to the federal government in the form of taxes, rents, royalties and bonus payments. Averaged over 2007-2012, the industry’s effective tax rate – income taxes paid to governments, divided by pretax income – was 44.6 percent. That’s well above the averages for other industries over the same time period.
We say all that to say this: Attacks that claim the oil and natural gas industry isn’t paying its fair share and/or that it gets special treatment are ridiculous. Industry is paying its fair share and then some – even as it supports 9.8 million jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy.
The Truth on Oil and Natural Gas 'Subsidies'
taxes tax policy cost recovery intangible drilling costs section 199 foreign tax credit lifo
Stephen Comstock
Posted January 29, 2014
Contrary to what some in politics, the media and most recently, the president during the State of the Union, have said, the oil and natural gas industry currently receives not one taxpayer “subsidy,” “loophole” or deduction. Since its inception, the U.S. tax code has allowed corporate taxpayers the ability to recover costs. These cost-recovery mechanisms, also known in policy circles as “tax expenditures,” should in no way be confused with “subsidies” – direct government spending or “tax loopholes.”
Pounding the Facts on Energy and Taxes
cost recovery energy growth taxes
Mark Green
Posted April 12, 2013
There is an old legal saying: “If you have the law, hammer the law. If you have the facts, hammer the facts. If you have neither the law nor the facts, hammer the table.” This came to mind the other day while reading the Center for American Progress’ (CAP) response to the latest White House proposal to raise taxes on oil and natural gas companies.
**Spoiler Alert **
They like the idea – but CAP's post is a lot of table hammering, and the table is the oil and natural gas industry. Let’s de- demagogue this with a look at the facts.
Congressional Democrats Concede Oil Companies Don’t Get Subsidies
taxes and revenue lifo fairness cost recovery
Mark Green
Posted February 6, 2013
Yesterday, President Obama called on Congress to pass a “balanced mix of spending cuts and more tax reform” to avoid the sequester spending cuts scheduled to take effect March 1. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney then followed up with, “That means closing loopholes that give tax advantages to the wealthy and to corporations that average Americans and average businesses don't have…So there's the subsidies to oil and gas companies.”