Stanford Forum on AI & Tax Policy

More than 80 percent of federal revenue comes from individuals, through the income and payroll taxes. How might that base change as AI transforms work? The session opens with a presentation on the latest research on AI’s effects on the economy and the labor market. A panel will then consider whether gains in productivity will translate into higher tax receipts, and how shifts in employment and wages could affect the income and payroll tax base.

AI is driving investment at historic scale, and the way that investment interacts with bonus depreciation, R&D incentives, and other provisions will shape corporate tax receipts for years to come. The session opens with an overview of how AI-driven productivity and investment could affect corporate tax revenue. Economists specializing in business taxation issues, as well as tax leaders from AI and technology companies, then share their perspectives on relevant tax issues.

How are lawmakers approaching AI, and what might Congress take up in 2027? Elected officials join the President and CEO of the Tax Foundation for a conversation about the legislative landscape for AI and its implications for tax policy.

Over lunch, OpenAI’s VP of Tax joins a conversation about the company, the geopolitical considerations shaping the advancement of AI, and the key tax issues facing one of the world’s leading AI companies.

From windfall profits taxes to taxes on computing power and tokens, a growing number of proposals would tax AI directly. The session opens with an overview of the leading ideas, spanning taxes on corporate revenue and income as well as consumption-based approaches. Panelists then weigh the pros and cons of each, including their potential effects on tax revenue, innovation, and the broader economy.

States and countries are competing to attract data centers and AI investment, often with tax incentives. The session opens with background on how these incentives have been used to attract data centers and what host communities gain in return. Panelists then examine the role of other U.S. tax incentives for R&D and investment and how they impact AI companies.