Taxation Policy

Assignment: Write a 5-¬‐7 page double spaced research paper that responds to an interesting and significant current tax problem, issue, or social topic with a contestable thesis; an argument that someone can disagree with.
You may choose a subject related to anything that we’ve dealt with throughout the semester or you may choose to pursue an unrelated topic that is of more interest to you. The topic must be tax related.

Make sure you aren’t just writing a report about a subject, you want to have an argument (thesis) about that subject. For example, let’s say you choose to write about Carbon Taxes in Canada. I don’t want to just know that carbon taxes are good/bad for climate change, I want to know how it works, why carbon taxes are an interesting and significant topic (consider how the topic can be an ethical issue, social issue, environmental issue, human rights issue, a corporate social responsibility issue etc…consider multiple perspectives), who does the policy affect, what are the implications (costs and benefits), and what do you think about it. These are merely suggestions for content. A well written paper will address these and any other relevant information related to your thesis. Remember to choose a topic, then narrow your topic to a statement that someone can debate (contestable thesis). For example, the topic could be: Carbon Taxes In Canada, the thesis could be: Carbon Taxes are unfair to Canadians and will not reduce pollution. **THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE** Be sure to use a variety of sources to help strengthen the credibility of your argument. A well researched paper will go beyond internet sources.

The goals of the assignment:
• become more knowledgeable about finding and using varied research sources.
• further develop your critical thinking skills and back up your points with evidence.
• become more adept at synthesizing information and developing informed views.
• discipline yourself to follow a scholarly research format to document in-text sources and a reference page (bibliography).
• compose a well organized, clear, concise, research paper to expand your knowledge on a subject in your major.
A good research paper should do the following:
• Pose an interesting and significant problem, issue, topic
• Respond to the problem, issue, topic with a contestable (can be argued against) thesis
• Use sources purposefully and ethically

Your paper should contain these parts:
Title Page: Title, Name, Course, Section, Professor, Date
• Introduction: Your introductory material should set up your topic for your audience. Briefly summarize your findings on the subject. Your introduction should not meander around the point of your paper. It may be more than one paragraph in length, but at some point, very early in the paper you then need to start the substance of the paper. Your thesis should come at the end of your introductory material. State your thesis in the form of a sentence or two. It should not be in the form of a question. Your thesis should be a brief statement, in your own words, that points out the major issues about this topic that you discovered in your research. If you can’t articulate in a sentence or two what your main point is then you probably don’t have a good idea of what you will be writing about.
• Body of Paper: Use subheadings, where appropriate, to separate different aspects of your paper which support your controlling idea (your thesis). The body of your paper should provide supporting evidence to support your thesis, in a logical, fully developed manner. For each new topic which supports your overall thesis, provide a topic sentence or two which is, in effect, the thesis for that sub-topic. If you do not use subheadings, you need to provide transition sentences to move your reader from one paragraph to the next.

• A writer of a research paper should synthesize the information gained from sources and weave them into a well ordered discourse, using the sources as evidence to support key points. A paper which is just a string of quotes shows that the author made no attempt to come to grips with the subject and is relying on the sources to speak for her or him.

• Conclusion: Your conclusion should make some “wrap up” statements about what you learned about your chosen topic and the possible impact of your findings for individuals, corporations, the economy, society, Canada or beyond. Also, address any issues that may still not be resolved for you. Don’t be reluctant to address any issues that aren’t easily resolved or have negative or ambiguous outcomes. I am not necessarily looking for a neatly wrapped up conclusion with no loose ends. I am looking for a conscientious, thoughtful look at some current event tax topic, sharing of the major significance of this issue, and any unanswered questions, if any, you are still dealing with.

 
Grading scheme includes:

Content: 40 pt.
Full explanation of topic
Introduction to topic
Provides thesis, background, supporting arguments
Conclusion to thesis

Depth of thought: 30pt.
Provided own conclusions and thoughts
Critical analysis of topic and thesis
Synthesize various sources of information
Considers multiple perspectives

Clarity: 20pt.
Written in clear and understandable language free from grammatical errors
Uses professional terminology
Organizes paper in a logical sequence of ideas
Identifies key information
Connects ideas from one section to another
Succinct language

Format paper to APA style / other requirements: 10pt.
Includes title page, section headers
Referencing within paper
Reference page at end (with all references from paper)

Possible tax topics:
1) Carbon Taxes in Canada (and beyond)
2) Digital Service Tax in Canada (and beyond)
3) Canadian Government Tax Strategies for small business
4) Pandora Papers
5) Wealth Tax
6) Pfizer, Profits, & Taxes
7) COVID-19 and taxes
8) Taxation and gender equality
9) Tax Fairness
10) Global Minimum Tax Plan
** The possibility of tax topics is endless. The above topics are only suggested.**