Erin Henry, an associate professor in the William Dillard Department of Accounting at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, and her co-authors recently made their way to Washington, D.C., to present their groundbreaking research on the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (CAMT) to the Council of Economic Advisers. The council is a vital component of the Executive Office of the President, and the staff has expressed keen interest in Henry’s work due to its value in ongoing policy evaluations. 

The study has garnered recognition not only from the White House but also from the academic community. The team’s paper has been accepted for publication in the esteemed National Tax Journal, further validating its significant coverage of a newly implemented tax policy. 

“We chose to investigate the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax because it is a newly enacted policy — most of the tax returns that will be subject to the CAMT have yet to be filed,” Henry explained. “We wanted to help policymakers understand whether the motivations for the policy are empirically supported (namely, whether corporations actually are reporting higher income to shareholders and reporting low or no income to the IRS).” 

The Council of Economic Advisers' invitation marks a significant recognition of the team's efforts and the impact of their work. The team's research promises to offer valuable insights into the implications of the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax, potentially influencing future tax policy discussions and decisions.

Henry said, “We wanted to help policymakers understand how corporations are able to achieve the disparate reporting objective, so they can assess the policy's design and better anticipate its effects.”

The invitation to present their research to the executive branch economics staff highlights the institution's role in shaping national discourse and its commitment to academic excellence. 

In reflection on the meaningful moment, Henry added, “This experience is, and probably will forever be, the single coolest professional experience of my life. Once you pass several layers of security and finally make it inside, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building is an incredible place. It’s stately and elegant. We initially assumed we’d just be presenting to the CEA staff, but the head of the CEA (Jared Bernstein) and another CEA member (Heather Boushey) were also in attendance and were interested in engaging in a meaningful discussion about the policy.” 

About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: Founded in 1926, the Sam M. Walton College of Business is AACSB-accredited and ranks among the top business schools in the nation. Walton College is the largest college at the University of Arkansas, serving nearly 9,000 undergraduate, master's and doctoral students. Walton College is recognized among U.S. News & World Report's 2023 "Best Business Schools," and its undergraduate supply chain management program was ranked No. 1 in North America by Gartner. The college's Master of Business Administration program was also ranked No. 11 for best return on investment by The Wall Street Journal. The Princeton Review ranked the college's graduate entrepreneurship program as one of the top in the country for the first time in the 2022-23 year. And in partnership with the Global Campus, the U of A's online business degree program ranked No. 12 nationally among 214 institutions by U.S. News in 2023.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.