Don't Mess With Taxes

I hope you're having a nice day off this Presidents' Day. 

Today is the perfect time, between hitting all the sales, to take a look at just what the presidential candidates say they'll do to our taxes if we let them move into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

So when you have to take a shopping break to let your credit card cool down, check out these Web sites that offer info on just where Clinton, McCain and Obama stand. Don't read anything into that list order; we're going alphabetical to avoid any charges of favoritism!

The Tax Foundation offers a nifty way to compare the candidates' tax plans. The site starts with an outline of each candidate's positions on the most important tax questions of this election and, as the race narrows and the remaining candidates refine and expound their positions, is updated.

And if you like engaging in "what ifs," you can even check on what the guys who have bowed out said they would have done for us taxwise.

Another good candidate-and-taxes comparison tool is the Tax Policy Center's matrix. At that site, you can download a spreadsheet that is updated as necessary with for the latest candidate tax policy data.

Citizens for Tax Justice has its own rundown. It's a bit dated, but when it comes to taxes, more information is always better. And you'll be able to see if anyone's flip-flopped by looking at this and then some of the more recent tax position reports.

In that same regard, there's also Tax Help Blog. Its November 2007 post has the tax views of the top 10 (at that time) presidential candidates.