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The Tax Foundation is the world's leading independent tax policy 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Since 1937, our principled research, insightful analysis, and engaged experts have informed smarter tax policy in the U.S. and internationally. For over 80 years, our mission has remained the same: to improve lives through tax policies that lead to greater economic growth and opportunity.

Our experts are continuously analyzing the day’s most relevant tax policy topics and are relied upon routinely for presentations, testimony, and media appearances on tax issues spanning every level of government. Learn more about our experts below and meet our full team, here.

Meet Our Full Team

Our Experts

  • Tax Foundation Staff
    Expert

    Abir Mandal

    Senior Policy Analyst

    Abir Mandal is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Tax Foundation, focused on state tax policy. Dr. Mandal holds a PhD in economics from Clemson University, where he focused on economic growth and development, trade, and econometrics.

  • Adam Hoffer Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Adam Hoffer

    Director of Excise Tax Policy

    Adam Hoffer is the Director of Excise Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation. Dr. Hoffer earned his PhD in Economics from West Virginia University and his undergraduate degree from Washington & Jefferson College.

  • Tax Foundation Staff
    Expert

    Akusti Leino

    Federal Tax Policy Fellow

    Akusti Leino is a Federal Tax Policy Fellow at the Tax Foundation. He also teaches computational and data sciences at George Mason University while pursuing a doctoral degree from the same institution. He holds an MSc in computational social sciences from Linköping University, Sweden, and a BA in economics from National Chengchi University, Taiwan. 

  • Alan Cole Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Alan Cole

    Senior Economist

    Alan Cole is a Senior Economist with Tax Foundation’s Center for Federal Tax Policy. His areas of focus include business taxes, cross-border taxes, and macroeconomics. In addition to work at Tax Foundation, Alan has served on the Joint Economic Committee and with The Conference Board.

  • Alex Durante Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Alex Durante

    Economist

    Alex Durante is an Economist at the Tax Foundation, working on federal tax policy and model development. Alex worked as a research assistant at the Federal Reserve Board and served as a staff economist on the Council of Economic Advisers.

  • Alex Mengden Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Alex Mengden

    Global Policy Analyst

    Alex Mengden is a Policy Analyst at the Tax Foundation, where he focuses on international tax issues and tax policy in Europe. He holds a BA in philosophy and economics from the University of Bayreuth and expects an MSc in economics from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

  • Alex Muresianu Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Alex Muresianu

    Senior Policy Analyst

    Alex Muresianu is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Tax Foundation, focused on federal tax policy. Previously working on the federal team as an intern in the summer of 2018 and as a research assistant in summer 2020. He attended Tufts University, graduating with a degree in economics and minors in finance and political science.

  • Andrey Yushkov Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Andrey Yushkov

    Senior Policy Analyst

    Andrey Yushkov is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Center for State Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation. He holds a PhD in public policy from Indiana University, an MS in economics from the University of Bonn, and a BS from St. Petersburg University.

  • Cecilia Perez Weigel Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Cecilia Perez Weigel

    European Policy and Outreach Associate

    Cecilia Perez Weigel focuses on international and European tax issues. She holds a joint master’s degree in transatlantic affairs from the College of Europe in Bruges and the Fletcher School in Boston and a master’s degree in European regulation from Sciences Po Paris.

  • Daniel Bunn Tax Foundation President & CEO
    Expert

    Daniel Bunn

    President and CEO

    Daniel Bunn is President and CEO of the Tax Foundation. Daniel has been with the organization since 2018 and, prior to becoming President, successfully built its Center for Global Tax Policy, expanding the Tax Foundation’s reach and impact around the world. Prior to joining the Tax Foundation, Daniel worked in the United States Senate at the Joint Economic Committee.

  • Erica York Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Erica York

    Senior Economist, Research Director

    Erica York is Senior Economist and Research Director with Tax Foundation’s Center for Federal Tax Policy. Her analysis has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Politico, and other national and international media outlets.

  • Garrett Watson Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Garrett Watson

    Senior Policy Analyst, Modeling Manager

    Garrett Watson is Senior Policy Analyst and Modeling Manager at the Tax Foundation, where he conducts research on federal and state tax policy. His work has been featured in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Politico, the Associated Press and other major outlets.

  • Huaqun Li Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Huaqun Li

    Senior Economist

    Dr. Huaqun Li is an Senior Economist at the Tax Foundation. She focuses on developing and maintaining the Foundation’s Taxes and Growth Model, which models the budgetary and economic effects of changes to federal tax policy.

  • Tax Foundation Staff
    Expert

    Jacob Macumber-Rosin

    Excise Tax Policy Analyst

    Jacob Macumber-Rosin is an Excise Tax Policy Analyst with the Tax Foundation. Jacob holds a BS in economics (politics and the economy) as well as a BS in civic and economic thought and leadership from Arizona State University.

  • Jared Walczak Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Jared Walczak

    Vice President of State Projects

    Jared Walczak is Vice President of State Projects at the Tax Foundation. He previously served as legislative director to a member of the Senate of Virginia and as political director for a statewide campaign, and consulted on research and policy development for a number of candidates and elected officials.

  • Joseph Johns Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Joseph Johns

    State Tax Policy Analyst

    Joseph Johns is a State Tax Policy Analyst with the Tax Foundation. He graduated from George Mason University in 2021 as an MA Fellow at the Mercatus Center, where he assisted Mercatus scholars with state-level economic research.

  • Katherine Loughead Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Katherine Loughead

    Senior Policy Analyst & Research Manager

    Katherine Loughead is a Senior Policy Analyst & Research Manager with the Center for State Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation. She was a lead author of “Wisconsin Tax Options: A Guide to Fair, Simple, Pro-Growth Reform” and “Kansas Tax Modernization: A Framework for Stable, Fair, Pro-Growth Reform.”

  • Manish Bhatt Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Manish Bhatt

    Senior Policy Analyst

    Manish Bhatt is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Center for State Tax Policy at the Tax Foundation. 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.

  • Scott Hodge Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Scott Hodge

    President Emeritus & Senior Policy Advisor

    Scott Hodge is President Emeritus & Senior Policy Advisor at the Tax Foundation, which he led as President for over two decades, between 2000 and 2022. Scott Hodge is recognized as one of Washington’s leading experts on tax policy, the federal budget, and government spending.

  • Sean Bray Tax Foundation
    Expert

    Sean Bray

    Director of European Policy

    Sean Bray is Director of European Policy at the Tax Foundation, where he researches international tax issues with a focus on tax policy in Europe. Prior to joining the Tax Foundation, Sean Bray worked in the United States Senate on tech, telecom, and trade policy.

  • Stephen J. Entin Tax Foundation Steve Entin
    Expert

    Stephen J. Entin

    Senior Fellow Emeritus

    Stephen J. Entin is a Senior Fellow Emeritus at the Tax Foundation. Previously, he was President and Executive Director at the Institute for Research on the Economics of Taxation (IRET), a pro-free market economic public policy research organization based in Washington DC.

  • William McBride Tax Foundation Will McBride
    Expert

    William McBride

    Vice President of Federal Tax Policy & Stephen J. Entin Fellow in Economics

    Dr. William McBride is Vice President of Federal Tax Policy & Stephen J. Entin Fellow in Economics at the Tax Foundation. Dr. McBride has more than ten years of experience analyzing a variety of economic and policy issues.

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