What Do Economists Believe?

Tyler Cowen:

When it comes to the tax code, there is less of a consensus than I had expected to find:

Health insurance receives preferential tax treatment. Should the U.S. change the income tax code so that health insurance benefits are taxed the same as income? Economists lean ever so slightly against this idea—44 percent oppose it, while 42 percent favor it. Should the U.S. amend the income tax code to eliminate the mortgage interest deduction? Again, economists are almost evenly split. Should internet sales be exempted from taxation? The majority of economists (57 percent) say “no,” while less than a quarter favor special treatment of internet-based sales.

That's from a survey of AEA members, conducted by Robert Whaples. The paper has other results of interest.