The State Journal – A committee focused on studying the tax structure in the state met for the second time May 4. Read
The committee heard from several experts, including two people who were on former Gov. Cecil Underwood’s Commission on Fair Taxation. Calvin Kent, former economics professor at Marshall University was one of the co –vice chairmen to the commission in 1999.
Kent gave a presentation on Adam Smith’s Canons of Taxation. Smith was a Scottish moral philosopher and pioneer political economist in the 18th century. According to Smith, the four cannons of his philosophy include: Equality of Sacrifice Theory, Canon of Certainty, Canon of Convenience and Canon of Economy. Kent said taxes should be neutral and should not favor one business or individual over the expense of another.
