Manish Bhatt is the Vice President of State Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation, where he oversees the Center for State Tax Policy and the strategic vision for the team. In addition, Manish advises state lawmakers and stakeholders on the principles of sound tax policy.
He routinely speaks around the country about state and local tax policy, including testifying before state legislatures. In 2024, his recommendations were pivotal to securing Louisiana’s broad tax reform, and he was appointed to Montana’s Property Tax Task Force. His work has been cited by the Financial Times, Forbes, CNBC, Newsweek, USA Today, and many state media outlets.
Prior to joining the Tax Foundation, Manish counseled clients on foreign currency transactions, international corporate taxation, transfer pricing, and tax accounting at a Big Four accounting firm. Additionally, he has advised several startups and taught business law as an adjunct faculty member at TCU. Manish is a veteran of the US Coast Guard, serving as an officer and Judge Advocate.
He holds an LLM in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center, a JD from St. Thomas University College of Law, and a BA from the George Washington University. In his free time, Manish enjoys fly fishing, equestrian sports, and skiing with his family.
Public Law 86-272’s vague language, limited scope, and failure to evolve with modern commerce has rendered it increasingly ineffective, burdening businesses with heightened litigation and compliance challenges.
26 min read
In 2025, the Texas legislature sought to make the state more competitive for small businesses by exempting a greater amount of business personal property from taxation, reducing compliance burdens at the cost of a trivial amount of revenue.
3 min read
Massachusetts lawmakers should look for opportunities to reform the tax code, revamp the state’s competitiveness, and stem the tide of outmigration. This bill, by contrast, would double down on the economically uncompetitive features of the Commonwealth’s existing tax code. Aggressively expanding NCTI inclusion is not productive or competitive.
5 min read
Oklahoma can continue to enhance its competitiveness by pursuing a variety of reforms to the corporate and individual income tax, but it should avoid policies that would negatively impact the economy, like enacting a wholesale elimination of the property tax.
6 min read
A tax preference originally designed to level the playing field now has the opposite effect, creating preferences for one class of financial institutions even though the distinctions between credit unions and banks are increasingly blurred.
6 min read
Lawmakers are right to enact a single-rate individual income tax. However, lawmakers should consider the full effects of the reform, ensuring that relief is not financed by shifting the tax burden to lower-income individuals and families.
4 min read
Montana’s 2025 legislative session has seen a flurry of property tax reform proposals, a response to the surge in property valuations in the state. Unfortunately, hasty decision-making can result in suboptimal policy outcomes.
6 min read
Lawmakers should finish the work they have begun over the past few decades, tackling tax rates and structures to give the state a leg up in an era of enhanced competition.
84 min read
With property tax bills on the rise, homeowners are searching for answers—and some even want to abolish the tax altogether. In this episode, we break down why property taxes are increasing, common but flawed solutions, and why the property tax remains an economically efficient revenue source.
Despite stark competitiveness differences, both New Jersey and Utah share a common goal this legislative session: reforming economic nexus rules that require out-of-state sellers and marketplace facilitators to collect and remit state sales taxes.
4 min read
Lawmakers will enter the 2025 fiscal legislative session with an opportunity to build on the successes of the November special session. Efforts should include addressing the outstanding issues within the corporate and sales tax codes that currently hold the state back.
7 min read
Nationwide, property owners have experienced surges in valuations and are demanding tax relief. Lawmakers are right to find ways to provide it, but should do so with sound tax principles in mind.
5 min read
Taxes are on the ballot this November—not just in the sense that candidates at all levels are offering their visions for tax policy, but also in the literal sense that voters in some states will get to decide important questions about how their states raise revenue.
9 min read
Eliminating the property tax will unfortunately set North Dakota back in significant ways, making the state a national outlier and eroding regional competitiveness.
6 min read
Retail delivery fees are an inefficient and ineffective way to close budget gaps, and lawmakers should consider other, more sound, policy options.
5 min read
Summer has arrived and states are beginning to implement policy changes that were enacted during the legislative session (or are being phased in over time).
13 min read
With proposals to adopt the nation’s highest corporate income tax, second-highest individual income tax, and most aggressive treatment of foreign earnings, as well as to implement an unusually high tax on property transfers, Vermont lawmakers have no shortage of options for raising taxes dramatically.
7 min read
Reforming economic nexus thresholds would not only be better for businesses but for states as well. It is more cost-effective for states to focus on—and simplify—compliance for a reasonable number of sellers than to impose rules that have low compliance and are costly to administer.
4 min read
Vermont lawmakers are considering the adoption of two new taxes on high earners, which proponents have branded “wealth taxes.”
4 min read