Introduction A Tribute to Michael K. Friel

Abstract

It is a great honor for me to edit this issue of the Florida Tax Review in honor of not only one of the greatest educators I have known but also the best human being I have known. I could never reciprocate all that Mike Friel has done for me and my career, and I am sure that his many students and friends share this sentiment. I apologize in advance for my shortage in words, yet I know that Mike will always appreciate academic contributions such as those included in this issue by his students and friends, all of which are original and discuss cutting-edge issues related to tax policy that the world faces at present. I am quite sure Mike will prefer this over lengthy praises, which he greatly deserves.

This issue includes three parts. All three include works exposing different perspectives on the universal struggle of Nation States with the economic and market realities of the twenty-first century when they come to form their tax policies. The first part focuses on the United States, whose international tax regime was dramatically reformed in 2017 with an unprecedented lack of guidance. The 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCJA) introduced a potpourri of reforms that struggle to reflect a single coherent set of policy goals. Some of the changes represented dramatic policy volte-face, while others implemented long acknowledged contingency plans that had been discussed and analyzed before. Some seem to reflect international developments, conforming to what may be the new international consensus, while others clearly go against such trends.