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Tax Policy Blog

Stay informed with quick and accessible analysis of today's top tax policy topics. Read Tax Foundation's Tax Policy Blog for insight from our experts on tax policies across the U.S. and abroad.

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Blog Articles

6170 Results
State semiconductor incentives and subsidies in the wake of the federal CHIPS Act or CHIPS and Science Act R&D legislation

States Enact Semiconductor Subsidies in the Wake of CHIPS

Policymakers at all levels of government should avoid the pitfalls of incentives. Instead, they should focus on creating a more efficient, neutral, and structurally sound tax code to the benefit of all types of business investment.

6 min read
US Pillar Two responses should include a policy response from Congress on the OECD global tax deal's global minimum tax

How the U.S. Can Piece Together a Solution for Pillar Two

Congress should recognize that Pillar Two has significant U.S.-specific downsides, but also that it cannot unilaterally stop Pillar Two from taking effect. Instead, it should carefully consider a policy response for the next Congress, when a variety of forces are likely to compel it to act.

7 min read
trade deficit and us trade and tax policy analysis

Debunking Myths about the Trade Deficit

Politicians often bemoan the trade deficit, but their disdain for this economic statistic is largely misplaced. The trade deficit reflects deeper choices about how we use our money, and reducing it may require lowering our standard of living.

4 min read

States Move Away from Throwback and Throwout Rules

As more and more states move away from throwback or throwout rules, those states that still impose these rules are becoming less attractive for businesses, which are incentivized to relocate their sales activities to non-throwback states.

6 min read

Section 179 Expensing: Good First Step?

The Small Business Jobs Act would improve the tax treatment of investment but the proposal stops short of full expensing, leaving room for improvement.

3 min read
College sports tax exemption and tax-free college sports discussions

The Big Business of Tax-Free College Sports

Moving from one athletic conference to another can mean millions in additional revenue sharing from lucrative broadcasting contracts and other revenue streams, all tax-free.

6 min read
UN tax cooperation efforts Tax Foundation response on cross border trade and investment United Nations general assembly

Global Tax Tug of War: Comparing the UN and OECD Approaches

The United Nations (UN) is preparing to flex its muscles on international tax policy. Several developing countries say the OECD’s approach favors richer countries at their expense, and the UN hopes to fix this.

5 min read
Design Matters When Raising Taxes to Reduce the Deficit and Stabilize the Debt-to-GDP ratio US debt taxes deficits Gross Domestic Product GDP

What Is GDP and Why Should I Care About It?

GDP stands for gross domestic product and is calculated by measuring a country’s total consumption, government spending, investments, and net exports.

2 min read
Canada digital services tax Canada digital tax proposal health care premiums and Canada marginal tax rates and Canada upward mobility

Another Digital Services Tax in Sight

Canada is planning to join the club of countries that, in the past 3 years, introduced a digital services tax (DST) despite U.S. opposition and concerns expressed by Canadian businesses.

4 min read
Child Tax Credit Reform Debate Continues Tax Cuts and Jobs Act TCJA Expiration and tax policy trade-offs Family Security Act Mitt Romney and Brookings Hamilton Project

Lawmakers Envision Different Paths for the Child Tax Credit

As the TCJA expiration nears, lawmakers face difficult choices in reforming the CTC. While revenue, distributional and economic effects are important, lawmakers should also focus on simplifying the rules and reducing the administrative challenges.

9 min read

Should Massachusetts Tax Netflix?

A bill introduced in the Massachusetts House, (H. 74) would expand funding for community media programming by imposing a new tax on the gross revenues of digital streaming service providers. The sentiment is understandable, but the proposed solution leaves much to be desired.

6 min read