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Individual Tax Compliance and Complexity

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IRS budget increase IRS technology modernization and IRS funding for IRS e-filing electronic tax filing

IRS Funding and Technology

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) finds itself under fire often. Outdated technology, millions of unanswered calls, and cafeterias full of paper returns—it’s clear that America’s tax collector needs improvement. Jesse is joined by Courtney Kay-Decker and Jared Ballew, chair and vice chair (respectively) of the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC). They discuss ETAAC’s annual report that lays out what the IRS is doing right, and what it’s doing wrong, as the agency continues to see its duties grow.

IRS tax enforcement provisions to increase IRS budget and IRS funding See more on IRS expansion and Inflation Reduction Act IRS details

How to Think About IRS Tax Enforcement Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act increases the IRS’s budget by roughly $80 billion over 10 years. The money is broken into four main categories—enforcement, operations support, business system modernization, and taxpayer services—as well as a few other small items such as an exploratory study on the potential of a free-file system.

6 min read
Technology

Technology and Taxes

From policy to filing, from accounting to compliance: technology is truly shaping the future of taxes. We chat with Ben Alarie, CEO of Blue J, about how companies are utilizing technology to comply with the tax code and how policymakers can use technology to advance tax laws that support an ever-evolving economy.

France social security contributions French workers upward mobility France marginal tax rates and France upward mobility

Lithuanian Model Could Help French Workers’ Upward Mobility

Reshaping some of these policies to generate a smoother variation of marginal tax rates over different income levels would likely raise labor supply and encourage the upward mobility of workers and especially that of average-income workers.

5 min read
2022 state income tax rates and brackets 2022 state individual income tax rates and brackets data map

Marginal Tax Rates and Economic Opportunity

Research has shown that spikes in tax rates can act as barriers to upward mobility. High marginal tax rates might directly influence the decisions workers make about accepting a raise, working additional hours, or whether they might remain on government benefits.

8 min read
The Surprising Regressivity of Grocery Tax Exemptions See sales tax grocery tax exemptions and grocery tax credit

Clean Up on the Grocery Tax Aisle

Amidst soaring inflation, policymakers across the political spectrum proposed many ideas to soften the blow of higher prices–especially for low-income workers and families. One idea that caught on quickly: sales tax relief on groceries. The idea had its merits, but Tax Foundation research shows that it may have missed the mark.

Biden tax compliance plan to improve IRS funding and tax enforcement to improve tax collection

Tax Filing Season: Options for Improvement

Efforts to improve the taxpayer experience should focus on the IRS’s operations and include structural improvements to the tax code.

4 min read
Georgia income tax cut and reform, including Georgia flat tax legislation

Georgia Makes Strides Toward Tax Competitiveness

Lawmakers can be proud of the steps that they have taken toward a better tax code but should consider revisiting the design of the bill’s tax triggers in order to better accomplish their goal of responsible improvement.

6 min read