Expert
Jared Walczak
Senior Fellow
Jared Walczak is a Senior Fellow at the Tax Foundation, where he spent five years as Vice President of State Projects, and president of Walczak Policy Consulting.
Jared has written or co-written tax reform guides for more than a dozen states and has served as the principal author of the Tax Foundation’s State Tax Competitiveness Index and Location Matters. He is also a regular on the conference circuit and has testified before legislatures in 35 states. His efforts have been instrumental in securing tax reform in many states, including sweeping reforms in Iowa and Louisiana, along with substantive reforms in Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming, among others.
Jared also serves as a member of the faculty of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation, sits on the state tax advisory board of the Institute for State Policy Leaders, and contributes to Tax Notes State magazine. He is the author of the “SALT Road” Substack, a free newsletter on state and local tax policy.
Latest Work
State and Local Sales Tax Rates, 2018
In addition to state-level sales taxes, consumers also face local sales taxes in 38 states. These rates can be substantial, so a state with a moderate statewide sales tax rate could actually have a very high combined state and local rate.
11 min read
Testimony: Oregon Should Consider Decoupling From the Pass-Through Deduction
Oregon’s Legislative Revenue Office anticipates a $40 million revenue loss in fiscal year 2019, for one simple reason: absent legislative action to the contrary, Oregon will adopt the new pass-through deduction, while most other states will not.
Pennsylvania’s New Penalties on Investment Could Scare off Amazon, Others
While other states are working to promote growth, Pennsylvania is headed in the opposite direction with a policy that dramatically overtaxes investment.
4 min read
West Virginia Constitutional Amendment Would Roll Back Property Taxes on Machinery and Equipment
Governor Justice’s proposal to roll back West Virginia’s tangible personal property tax, a tax on equipment and machinery, is an opportunity improve the state’s outmoded property tax structure.
4 min read
Tax Reform Moves to the States: State Revenue Implications and Reform Opportunities Following Federal Tax Reform
Federal tax reform gives states an opportunity to improve their own tax codes. This study surveys the federal provisions to which states conform, what each state can expect from federal tax changes, and what options are available to them.
58 min read
Washington Legislature Considers B&O Tax Surcharge
Legislation introduced in Washington State correctly diagnoses the problem with the state’s B&O tax, but the proposed remedy could use some work.
6 min read
New York Taxpayers Must Pay for Ill-Advised Lawsuit Seeking Tax Cuts for Wealthiest Residents
New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are pursuing a questionable legal strategy to overturn the cap on a federal tax deduction that benefits the wealthy.
5 min read
More States Considering Dubious SALT Charitable Contribution Workaround
California’s plan to circumvent the new state and local tax deduction cap is dubious, but now Illinois, Nebraska, Virginia, and Washington are considering similar plans.
3 min read
Mississippi Lawmakers Consider Creation of State Lottery
As Mississippi policymakers contemplate a lottery, it may be tempting to think of it as free money—new revenue raised without having to adopt a new tax. A better way of thinking about the issue, however, would recognize the lottery for what it is: a regressive form of high implicit taxation.
3 min read
State Strategies to Preserve SALT Deductions for High-Income Taxpayers: Will They Work?
The scramble to restore the full state and local tax deduction for high-income taxpayers has resulted in inventive proposals that, for both legal and practical reasons, are unlikely to succeed.
22 min read
What Percentage of Lottery Winnings Would be Withheld in Your State?
You probably aren’t going to win the Powerball jackpot, but your state already has. Here’s a look at lottery withholding tax rates by state.
2 min read
Pass-Through Deduction Won’t Flow Through to Most States
For policymakers in most states, the fact that the pass-through deduction doesn’t affect AGI should come as a relief. For those in the six states which use federal taxable income as their starting point for conformity, decoupling from the provision is an entirely viable option.
2 min read
Trends in State Tax Policy, 2018
In 2018, trends to watch in state tax policy will include reductions in corporate tax rates, the spread of gross receipts taxes, new and lower taxes on marijuana, estate tax repeal, a wait-and-see approach on federal tax reform, and more.
16 min read
High-Tax States are Inconsistent on the State and Local Tax Deduction
If the state and local tax deduction is necessary to prevent double taxation, why don’t states offer a deduction for federal and local taxes?
2 min read
Important Differences Between the House and Senate Tax Reform Bills Heading into Conference
The House and Senate have both passed legislation that would overhaul the federal tax code. Learn about the key differences between the two bills.
7 min read