This is a continuation of the column that I began last week, focused on how we can improve our economy.

Each American company that has operations internationally must pay taxes on the profit that is derived from that operation in the country in which the profit is earned.

Under current U.S. tax policy, if those companies return those profits to the United States for reinvestment or to stockholders, they would be required to pay tax on those profits a second time — once where earned and then again here in America.

There should be little question why these companies seldom return those profits to this country. Currently, there is believed to be about $1 trillion dollars caught in this situation.

Now is the time for President Donald Trump and Congress to not only take that step to attract that trillion dollars for investment in America, but also to take a greater step.

That greater step would be to change the federal law to eliminate the double taxation completely. Taking this step would not only rake in the one trillion dollars but many more dollars in the future.

Changing this policy, as other countries have done, can be a major driving force as we focus on better ways to grow our economy.

Frank Ruff represents Lunenburg in the state Senate. His email address is Sen.Ruff@verizon.net.