David Brunori

Senior Fellow
D.C. Policy Center

David Brunori is a senior director at RSM US LLP’s national tax office in Washington and a research professor of public policy at George Washington University. He is a nationally known expert in state and local tax and public finance. He writes a regular column on state tax policy for Law360 Tax Authority. Previously, he served as a partner in the national law firm of Quarles & Brady, Deputy Publisher at Tax Analysts, as an attorney for the United States Department of Justice. He is also a fellow at the National Academy of Public Administration. He writes and speaks extensively on state and local tax and regulatory issues. He has an M.P.P.M. and J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh and B.A. and M.A. degrees from GW.

D.C. Policy Center contributors are independent writers, and we gladly encourage the expression of a variety of perspectives. The views of our contributors, published here or elsewhere, do not reflect the views of the D.C. Policy Center.

Written By David Brunori

FIRST TAKE: Don’t Decouple D.C. from the Federal Estate Tax

First Take is a regular opinion column by D.C. Policy Center Senior Fellow David Brunori. Some folks in the District of Columbia, including some folks on the D.C. Council, would like to decouple D.C. from the new federal estate tax law. That would be a mistake. I say that not because I…

May 17, 2018 | David Brunori

FIRST TAKE: Targeted property taxes are not sound policy choices

First Take is a regular opinion column by D.C. Policy Center Senior Fellow David Brunori. I have long been a fan of the property tax. I think it is the ideal way to fund local general fund spending. But the property tax is rarely a sound vehicle for targeted spending or redistributing…

May 16, 2018 | David Brunori

FIRST TAKE: The SALT deduction is a good thing—for rich folks

First Take is a regular opinion column by D.C. Policy Center Senior Fellow David Brunori. I must admit I am astonished by the strong opposition to ending the federal deduction of state and local taxes. More astonishingly, much of that opposition comes from liberal political leaders.  On Monday, November 13, 2017 area…

December 7, 2017 | David Brunori

Sales Tax Holiday—Great Politics, Poor Policy

First Take is a regular opinion column by D.C. Policy Center Senior Fellow David Brunori. Sales tax holidays are good politics. A legislator from Maryland once told me that they were the easiest things to vote for. And politically useful arguments are plenty: Hard working families get to buy tax free right…

November 2, 2017 | David Brunori

FIRST TAKE: Metro funding is about commitment, not fairness

First Take is a regular opinion column by D.C. Policy Center Senior Fellow David Brunori. Jumping into the debate over funding Metro, the DC Fiscal Policy Institute released a report about on how a regional sales tax would be unfair to “working families,” particularly black and Latino families. That concern has some…

September 1, 2017 | David Brunori

FIRST TAKE – Funding Metro? Let the Market Help

First Take is a regular opinion column by D.C. Policy Center Senior Fellow David Brunori. There are a lot of ideas being tossed around for raising money for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.  The revenue needs are large $25 billion in capital needs and a nearly $300 million operating shortfall. Indeed,…

July 14, 2017 | David Brunori

FIRST TAKE—Stay the course on business tax reform

First Take is a regular column by D.C. Policy Center Senior Fellow David Brunori. It is odd that there is even a debate over whether to let the rest of the District’s 2014 tax reforms to take place.  I say that because the changes to the tax system are working. Both investment and…

May 29, 2017 | David Brunori

FIRST TAKE – The Estate Tax Doesn’t Work. Don’t make it worse.

First Take is a regular column by D.C. Policy Center Senior Fellow David Brunori. Next January, the District’s estate tax exemption will increase from the current $2 million to match the federal exemption of $5.49 million. Short of repealing what is a bad tax, increasing the exemption is the next best thing. Yet,…

May 19, 2017 | David Brunori

FIRST TAKE – Virginia Really Should Pay More for Metro

First Take is a regular column by D.C. Policy Center Senior Fellow David Brunori. At the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission meeting on May 4, there was much angst and anger over the idea of a regional sales tax to fund Metro.  Some Northern Virginia political leaders are apparently dead set against a regional…

May 10, 2017 | David Brunori

FIRST TAKE—Metro needs money. Who is going to pay?

First Take is a regular column by D.C. Policy Center Senior Fellow David Brunori. One thing seems clear. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority needs money. It says it has $25 billion in capital needs. And it needs $15 billion of that over the next ten years. Oh, and it cannot meet its…

April 26, 2017 | David Brunori

FIRST TAKE—Pull the trigger, the tax cuts are working

First Take is a regular column by D.C. Policy Center Senior Fellow David Brunori. The District of Columbia is going to see another round of tax cuts as a result of hitting revenue targets for the next four years, as recommended by the D.C. Tax Revision Commission in 2014. Allowing these tax cuts…

April 5, 2017 | David Brunori

FIRST TAKE – A look at D.C. tax policy proposals

First Take is a regular column by D.C. Policy Center Senior Fellow David Brunori. “The point to remember is that what the government gives it must first take away.” – John S. Coleman I have been teaching, writing, and, practicing state and local tax law for more than a quarter century.  And, I am…

March 2, 2017 | David Brunori