[author: Lai Lam]

The “listening sessions” for Tax Cuts 2.0 have begun. Ways and Means Republicans gathered last week to discuss which tax provisions should go into the forthcoming legislative package. Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady is pushing hard to release a proposal by July 26 before the House leaves for the August recess — an ambitious timeline given that no major decisions were made at the July 11 meeting.

The tax-writing panel is reportedly considering a provision that would index capital gains to inflation. Additionally, Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) told reporters that Tax Cuts 2.0 would not address international items like the global intangible low-tax income (GILTI) or the base erosion anti-abuse tax (BEAT). These two international provisions might be addressed in the technical corrections bill that Chairman Brady is planning to introduce after the midterm elections. GOP tax writers are waiting to see what the Treasury will do first via guidances and whether the regulatory fixes will be sufficient.