This week's impact interview is with Travis Nix. He is currently a JD candidate at Georgetown and will be starting at a law firm in the fall as a tax attorney.
Travis Nix Interview
You’re currently a JD Candidate at Georgetown law with a concentration in tax law.Can you tell us a little bit about your interest in the law and your career path?
I’ve always been interested in law. When I was younger I wanted to be a sports agent, so I’ve always been interested in contracts and contractual terms. I got into tax law when I was an undergraduate intern on Capitol Hill for Congressman Peter Roskam when the 2017 tax law passed and 2019 when I was a federal tax policy intern for the Heritage Foundation. I then learned I could go to law school and help companies navigate our labyrinth of a tax code by becoming a tax attorney. This fall, I’ll be moving to New York and becoming a tax attorney at Skadden, Arps, Meagher, and Flom.
You’ve written a lot about tax policy in many outlets including multiple pieces in The Wall Street Journal. What’s one major change you would make to the tax code and why?
The one realistic change I would make to the federal tax code is permanent full expensing. Full expensing is a policy that allows companies to deduct the full costs of their capital investments, like equipment and machinery, immediately off their taxes. By making these expensive investments cheaper, the tax code can grow our economy and raise wages.
How did Young Voices help you become a more well-rounded person and writer?
Young Voices made me a better writer without a doubt. I never considered myself a good writer (and my high school English teachers would agree), but thanks to Young Voices’ extremely talented editors, I have learned how to communicate very complicated tax concepts to a general audience. This will make me a better lawyer as well as a better advocate for good tax policy.
Which published works or media appearances Young Voices placed for you are you most proud of?
The article I’m most proud of is my Wall Street Journal article on Biden proposing to change the statute of limitations for audits. This was my first WSJ article and one of the first times I wrote about substantive tax law rather than policy. This was a proposal that easily could’ve been snuck into a large omnibus bill, and it still has not passed and hopefully never will.
Personally, I’m most proud of my television appearance on Fox and Friends discussing my immune deficiency and COVID-19 restrictions. This was the first time I had ever publicly discussed my disease. I was blessed with the opportunity to raise awareness about primary immune deficiencies and drive home the point that we just want to be treated the same as our peers and be able to live freely,
What’s your advice for pro-liberty young people pursuing a career in policy?
Write about the policies you are passionate about. You know more than 99.9% of the population. Come up with original ideas and people will respect you.
Thanks so much to Travis for his thoughtful answers! Stay tuned for our next alumni interview.
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