Reasoning with Formalized Statutes: The Case of Capital Gains and Losses
12 March 2024This talk is based on a article:
Abstract: This Article formalizes sections of the Internal Revenue Code and then reasons with these formalizations algebraically, graphically, and using a computer program that proves theorems. Reasoning with the formalizations reveals previously overlooked errors in the statute; demonstrates equivalence between the actual law and facially dissimilar administrative implementations of the law; and uncovers technical corrections in these administrative implementations that the Internal Revenue Services has not openly acknowledged. The Article thus shows how reasoning with formalized statutes leads to insights that may be otherwise obscured by law’s complexity.
