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Article snippet: WASHINGTON — Republicans are unfailingly passionate about cutting taxes, but as they look to craft the most sweeping tax code rewrite in 31 years, one question reliably dampens their enthusiasm: how to pay for the cuts. Lawmakers have paved the way for a $1.5 trillion tax cut, but the actual plan is expected to cost far more. With House Republicans only weeks away from finally unveiling a tax bill, ideas for raising revenue continue to bubble up and then burst. So-called “pay-fors” are problematic because they have the potential to raise taxes on the middle class, repeal benefits for influential industries or alienate politically vulnerable Republicans. Here are some of the big revenue raisers that are under discussion — and why opposition is already mounting. Eliminating the deduction that taxpayers take for state and local tax expenses has emerged as one of the most hotly contested issues in the tax debate so far. Doing away with the deduction would save $1.3 trillion over a decade, according to the Tax Policy Center, and is necessary to give any big tax plan a semblance of fiscal responsibility. Many Republicans are happy to do away with the deduction because it tends to benefit wealthy people in Democratic states that have high local taxes. But several Republican lawmakers also represent areas where constituents, including those in the middle class, make heavy use of the deduction. While Republican tax-writers remain committed to the idea, they are looking fo... Link to the full article to read more