Liam Denning, Columnist

Trump Tax a Wild Card for Oil

A plan to encourage exports will complicate efforts to prop up prices.
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

It's only fair to warn you that this column concerns tax policy, so maybe grab a coffee first. It's also about oil (if that helps.)

One of the incoming Trump administration's priorities is tax reform. And one proposal outlined in Speaker Paul Ryan's "Tax Reform Task Force Blueprint" with big implications for oil involves a so-called border adjustment tax. This would effectively tax U.S. businesses on their imports while offering a break on domestically produced goods for export. In other words, it is designed to encourage making stuff in the U.S. rather than buying it from overseas.