State income tax laws and their relationship to the federal income tax were surveyed and changes affecting forest landowners since similar research on this subject (1981-82) are discussed. Several previously favorable provisions were eliminated at the federal level. Although the economic situation and research assumptions have changed, the general indications are that many states have implemented provisions which may be considered generally unfavorable to forest landowners. The 1988 federal and state income tax liabilities for hypothetical forest landowners at three personal income levels, each with and without timber sale revenue, were calculated for 41 states in the U.S. which impose a comprehensive income tax. In the South, the state percentage of the total income tax liability for the hypothetical landowners who sell timber ranged from 9 to 21, 7 to 17, and 6 to 15 percent for the low, medium and high income levels, respectively. The state percentage ranged from 10 to 31, 9 to 20, and 7 to 16 percent for the low, medium and high income levels, respectively for landowners who did not sell timber. Louisiana was the lowest and North Carolina was the highest for all hypothetical cases. In the West, the state percentage ranged from 13 to 25, 12 to 25, and 10 to 19 percent, for the low, medium and high income levels, respectively, for landowners who sold timber. The state percentage for landowners who did not sell timber ranged from 10 to 34, 15 to 25, and from 12 to 20 percent the low, medium and high income levels, respectively. Arizona and Colorado consistently were among the lowest and Hawaii was the highest for all the hypothetical cases / Master of Science

As the federal deficit rises in the United States, interest in a consumption tax system or the value added tax (VAT) also increases. This investigation attempts to determine the short-run impacts of a value added tax upon private forest management. A literature review investigates the theoretical economic impacts of a VAT and experience with the tax in other countries. Then supply and demand functions in both the southern pine sawtimber stumpage and new single-facility housing sector are empirically derived. These functions are used to determine the short-run housing price elasticities of the quantity of houses sold and the price and quantity of stumpage sold. From this, the impact of a VAT-induced housing price change is determined, and simulation with different VAT rates are performed. Based on housing markets alone, it is found that a VAT is likely to cause a short-run reduction in sawtimber stumpage price and quantity demanded which is less than 1/10 percent of the VAT rate. / M.S.