THE ROLE OF DEPRECIATION AND THE INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT IN TAX POLICY AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON FINANCIAL REPORTING DURING THE 20TH CENTURY

Since the inception of the modern income tax, the investment tax credit and depreciation have been some of the most modified provisions. This paper traces the history of major changes in depreciation and the investment tax credit along with the tax policy justifications given at the time the changes were made. In addition, the influence of tax depreciation on financial reporting is also discussed. An historical perspective of these two major provisions in tax should be helpful to policymakers and researchers attempting to assess the effectiveness of these policies.