As practitioners, we must devote lots of time to the technical understanding of the tax law. We may be puzzled about why they have so many details and why some special rules are so limited. Appreciation of the design of a tax system (also known as tax policy) can help deepen our understanding of technical rules and where improvements are needed in our tax system. Understanding the principles of sound tax policy is necessary to objectively evaluate legislative proposals and critique them to clients and lawmakers. This course covers the basics of tax policy, principles of good tax policy, how to use this information for improved practice, and advocacy ideas to help improve our tax laws. Examples and practice analysis are included.