The US president has seen recent success on extending the payroll tax cut The US president has seen recent success on extending the payroll tax cut
US President Barack Obama is proposing cutting the US corporate tax rate from 35% to 28%, and closing loopholes, as part of a larger push for tax reform.
Republicans also propose lowering rates, but Mr Obama's plan is thought to have few chances of becoming law.
Correspondents say the president is using the plan to spark a debate on tax reform in an election year.
The plan does not include any overhaul of the individual tax code.
In a statement, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner called the current system inefficient and bad for job creation.
He said the White House and Treasury plan would make the tax system more globally competitive and eliminate "fundamentally unfair" loopholes.
Loophole tax rate
The US currently has one of the top corporate tax rates in the world, but loopholes and other subsidies mean many companies pay a much lower effective tax rate.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, total corporate federal taxes represented 12.1% of US profits in 2011.
Republican Representative Dave Camp and presidential hopeful Mitt Romney have proposed a 25% rate, while other Republican candidates have suggested rates as low as 12.5%.
While both parties have expressed interest in removing tax loopholes, there is disagreement on which subsidies will be need to be cut in order to make up for revenues lost through lowering the standard rate.Removing the tax loopholes would be likely to raise tax revenues overall, with some companies paying more or less under the current system.
As part of the proposed plan, Mr Obama has suggested lowering the tax rate to 25% for manufacturing businesses and continuing research and development-based tax credits.
While the announcement fleshes out promises made in Mr Obama's January State of the Union address, it leaves certain key details, like the percentage of a minimum tax on foreign profits, up to Congress.
Correspondents say that the tax proposal - and the deliberate lack of detail in some areas - is a move by Mr Obama to shift responsibility to Congress.
Republicans in the House of Representatives have routinely opposed Mr Obama's legislative plans since winning control of the chamber in the 2010 elections.
US media analysis
Washington Post's Wonkbook argues the plan is a challenge to businesses who have called for reform: "In a sense, their document is as much about showing how hard corporate tax reform will be as it is about getting corporate tax reform done."Fox Business's Elizabeth MacDonald says that under the White House's plan, business such as utilities and car manufacturers would benefit, while the internet and biotech sectors could see higher taxes.
Writing in the National Review, Douglas Holtz-Eakin says: "Credit where credit is due," but adds that the rate is not competitive enough and that a minimum tax on foreign profits puts the US "out of step" with other developed countries.
Collection. BBC
