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The Tax Foundation is the world’s leading independent tax policy 501(c)(3) nonprofit. 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 Center for Federal Tax PolicyCenter for State Tax Policy, and Center for Global Tax Policy each produce timely and high-quality research and analysis that influences the debate toward economically principled tax policies. 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.

Likewise, providing journalists, taxpayers, and policymakers with basic data on taxes and spending has been a cornerstone of the Tax Foundation’s educational mission since its founding. As we wrote in our first edition of Facts & Figures in 1941, “Facts give a broader perspective; facts dissipate predilections and prejudices…[and are] an important step to meet the challenge presented by the broad problems of public finance.”

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How have your state's tax revenues changed in FY 2020 compared to FY 2019? State revenue collections beat state revenue expectations in FY 2020 despite coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn

New Census Data Shows States Beat Revenue Expectations in FY 2020

State tax revenue collections were down 5.5 percent in FY 2020, driven by a dismal final quarter (April through June) as states began to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. While these early losses are certainly not desirable, they are manageable and far better than many feared.

16 min read
VAT Gap EU member state 2020

New European Commission Report: VAT Gap

Just as COVID-19 is putting pressure on other sources of revenue, the loss of VAT revenues resulting from the crisis will force governments to evaluate their VAT systems.

3 min read
Recent changes in statutory corporate income tax rates in Europe, 2020 corporate tax trends in Europe

Recent Changes in Statutory Corporate Income Tax Rates in Europe

Over the last two decades, corporate income tax rates have declined around the world. Our new map shows the most recent changes in corporate tax rates in European OECD countries, comparing how combined statutory corporate income tax rates have changed between 2017 and 2020.

3 min read
State marriage penalty, state marriage penalties, does your state have a marriage penalty?

Does Your State Have a Marriage Penalty?

A marriage penalty exists when a state’s income brackets for married taxpayers filing jointly are less than double the bracket widths that apply to single filers.

2 min read
European tax treaties, European tax treaty network

Tax Treaty Network of European Countries

Tax treaties usually provide mechanisms to eliminate double taxation and can provide certainty and stability for taxpayers and encourage foreign investment and trade. A broad network of tax treaties contributes to the competitiveness of an economy.

1 min read
Thin-capitalization rules, Thin-cap rules in Europe

Thin-Cap Rules in Europe

To discourage a certain form of international debt shifting, many countries have implemented so-called thin-capitalization rules (thin-cap rules), which limit the amount of interest a multinational business can deduct for tax purposes.

4 min read
How high are property taxes in my state? How high are property taxes in your state? state property taxes paid as a percentage of owner-occupied housing value

How High Are Property Taxes in Your State?

New Jersey has the highest effective rate on owner-occupied property at 2.21 percent, followed closely by Illinois (2.05 percent) and New Hampshire (2.03 percent).

2 min read
Vehicle miles traveled tax VMT tax, motor fuel tax, transportation funding, highway trust fund economic impact of increased infrastructure spending

Who Will Pay for the Roads?

The highway trust fund is on track to run out of money by 2021, states are struggling to cover their transportation spending, and increased fuel economy, plus inflation, is chipping away at gas tax revenue year. How can Congress and state governments ensure they have the revenue necessary to fund our highways? One solution is the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax.

35 min read
CFC rules in Europe, Controlled Foreign Corporation Rules in Europe 2020, CFC rules in Europe 2020

CFC Rules in Europe

To prevent businesses from minimizing their tax liability by taking advantage of cross-country differences in taxation, countries have implemented various anti-tax avoidance measures, one known as Controlled Foreign Corporation (CFC) rules.

5 min read

Property Taxes by County, 2020

The five counties with the highest median property tax payments are all located near New York City and have bills exceeding $10,000.

3 min read
LIFO vs FIFO vs Weighted Average Cost. Inventory Valuation in Europe 2020

Inventory Valuation in Europe

The method by which a country allows businesses to account for inventories can significantly impact a business’s taxable income. When prices are rising, as is usually the case due to factors like inflation, LIFO is the preferred method because it allows inventory costs to be closer to true costs at the time of sale.

2 min read

Real Value of $100 by Metropolitan Area, 2020

California is home to 7 of the 10 most expensive metro areas in America. See what’s the real value of $100 in your metro area with our new purchasing power map.

4 min read

Where Should the Money Come From?

The fiscal response to the COVID-19 pandemic will require policymakers to consider what revenue resources should be used to fill budget gaps. Tax policy experts have proposed wealth taxes, (global) corporate minimum taxes, excess profits taxes, and digital taxes as opportunities for governments to raise new revenues.

20 min read
Does my state tax social security benefits? States that tax social security benefits

Does Your State Tax Social Security Benefits?

The question, “Does my state tax Social Security benefits?” may be simple enough, but the answer includes a lot of nuance. Many states have unique and specific provisions regarding the taxation of Social Security benefits, which can be broken into a few broad categories.

3 min read
real property taxes in Europe, European property tax rankings, property tax collections as a percent of the private capital stock in 2019

Real Property Taxes in Europe, 2020

High property taxes levied not only on land but also on buildings and structures can discourage investment because they disincentivise investing in infrastructure, which businesses would have to pay additional tax on. For this reason, it may also influence business location decisions away from places with high property tax.

3 min read