House passes tax reform bill

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act bill, H.R. 1, by a vote of 227–205, on Thursday afternoon, with all Democrats and 13 Republicans voting no.

The legislation as passed had not been amended since its approval by the House Ways and Means Committee last week (see “House Ways and Means Approves Amended Tax Cuts and Jobs Bill,” for details).

The bill features four tax brackets for individuals, instead of the current seven; a larger standard deduction; the repeal of many itemized deductions; a reduction of the corporate income tax rate to 20%; repeal of the alternative minimum tax and, after 2023, the estate and generation-skipping taxes; and many other changes.

The Senate Finance Committee approved its own version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act late on Thursday, which differs significantly from the bill the House passed. The Senate is expected to consider its bill after Congress’s Thanksgiving break.