Tax Reform Framework Would Improve Nebraska’s Competitiveness
If Nebraska is to create a competitive environment and attract in-state investment, comprehensive tax modernization must be a priority.
Expert
Katherine Loughead
Senior Policy Analyst
Katherine Loughead is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Center for State Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation, where she serves as a resource to policymakers in their efforts to modernize and improve the structure of their state tax codes.
Ms. Loughead was one of the lead authors of Wisconsin Tax Options: A Guide to Fair, Simple, Pro-Growth Reform and Kansas Tax Modernization: A Framework for Stable, Fair, Pro-Growth Reform. Her work has been cited in The New York Times, USA TODAY, Forbes, the Associated Press, and numerous state media outlets across the country.
Prior to joining the Tax Foundation in April 2018, Ms. Loughead worked for a U.S. senator and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, where she advised on tax policy during the consideration and enactment of the historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. A graduate of the John Wesley Honors College at Indiana Wesleyan University, Ms. Loughead holds a degree in English and Business Administration, as well as a paralegal certificate from Georgetown University.
Originally from Belvidere, Illinois, Katherine now lives in Washington, D.C., where in her spare time she can be found taking flying trapeze classes or reliving her gymnastics days at the local YMCA.
Written Works
State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets for 2022
Individual income taxes are a major source of state government revenue, accounting for more than a third of state tax collections:
Testimony: Kansas Should Keep Groceries in the Sales Tax Base
Tax relief can take many different forms, but not all tax cuts have the same effects. Ultimately, maintaining broad tax bases while reducing tax rates is a more neutral and less complex approach than further narrowing an already-narrow sales tax base.
North Carolina Reinforces Its Tax Reform Legacy
With the adoption of its new budget in mid-November, North Carolina has reinforced its position as a leader in pro-growth tax reform, becoming the 12th state to enact income tax rate reductions in 2021 alone.
Tracking 2021 Election Results: State Tax Ballot Measures
Through 10 ballot measures across four states—Colorado, Louisiana, Texas, and Washington—voters will decide significant questions of state tax policy.
North Carolina Considers Corporate Income Tax Repeal and Individual Income Tax Relief
Taken together, the proposed reforms would further solidify North Carolina’s position as a leader in sound tax policy and as a state whose tax code is among the most conducive to generating long-term economic growth.
Illuminating the Hidden Costs of State Tax Incentives
In most states, tax incentives abound, usually offered as a way of promoting new investment or attracting certain industries by shielding them from the full impact of otherwise high tax rates.
States Respond to Strong Fiscal Health with Income Tax Reforms
As states close their books for fiscal year 2021, many have much more revenue on hand than they anticipated last year. Eleven states have responded by reducing income tax rates and making related structural reforms as they strive to solidify a competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive national landscape.
Property and Sales Taxes Are a Major Driver of Corporations’ State and Local Tax Burdens
As policymakers consider ways to improve their tax structure to encourage business investment and promote economic growth, corporate income tax rate reductions are a crucial part of that conversation, but they shouldn’t be the only consideration.
What’s in Arizona’s Tax Reform Package?
After weeks of deliberations, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed into law a budget for fiscal year (FY) 2022 that reduces the state’s individual income tax rates and consolidates brackets, a plan that will help restore Arizona’s reputation as a low-tax alternative to California.
Wisconsin Legislature Considering Several Pro-Growth Tax Reforms
Reducing the second-highest individual income tax rate, repealing the TPP tax, and freezing UI tax rates are three valuable reforms that would help promote a smooth economic recovery in Wisconsin while setting the state up for robust economic growth for years to come.
State Tax Changes Taking Effect July 1, 2021
Thirteen states have notable tax changes taking effect on July 1, 2021, which is the first day of fiscal year (FY) 2022 for every state except Alabama, Michigan, New York, and Texas. Individual and corporate income tax changes usually take effect at the beginning of the calendar year for the sake of maintaining policy consistency throughout the tax year, but sales and excise tax changes often correspond with the beginning of a fiscal year.
Wisconsin’s Surplus Presents Opportunity for Down Payment on Future Economic Growth
As Wisconsin emerges from the pandemic, state policymakers have a rare opportunity to reinvest excess revenues in a structurally sound manner that will make the state more attractive to individuals and businesses, promote a quicker and more robust economic recovery, and put the state on the path to increased in-state investment and growth for many years to come.
Arizona Legislators Consider Lower, Flatter Income Tax
The income tax changes in HB 2900 as introduced would improve Arizona’s individual income tax structure and economic competitiveness, making the state more attractive to individuals and pass-through businesses .
Biden Administration Changes to GILTI and FDII Will Yield Automatic State Tax Increases
State taxation of GILTI is unconventional and economically uncompetitive and will become even more so if the federal government adopts a more aggressive approach to taxing GILTI, as outlined in the American Jobs Plan Act.
Location Matters 2021: The State Tax Costs of Doing Business
A landmark comparison of corporate tax costs in all 50 states, Location Matters provides a comprehensive calculation of real-world tax burdens, going beyond headline rates to demonstrate how tax codes impact businesses and offering policymakers a road map to improvement.
Outlier No More: Kansas Adopts Tax Reform with Wayfair Safe Harbor, GILTI Exclusion
After three years of deliberations, more than two-thirds of members in both the Senate and the House enacted tax reform and relief legislation Monday over the veto of Gov. Laura Kelly (D).
Kansas Lawmakers to Consider Veto Override on Tax Reform Bill
Kansas has the revenue cushion it needs to provide tax relief to individuals and businesses and improve the structure of its tax code in the process. These pro-growth reforms would not only help taxpayers amid the pandemic but would also promote economic recovery and growth in a state that is lagging behind its competitors.