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Tax Policy Blog

Stay informed with quick and accessible analysis of today's top tax policy topics. Read Tax Foundation's Tax Policy Blog for insight from our experts on tax policies across the U.S. and abroad.

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Blog Articles

6168 Results
UK tax plan Rishi Sunak tax plan

A Tale of Two Tax Plans in the United Kingdom

History is clear. Lowering budget deficits via spending restraint frees resources for additional private output and jobs. Lowering them by raising taxes on business investment and labor services makes it harder to dis-inflate without a recession.

7 min read
EU fiscal fairness economic fairness and tax fairness Testimony before the EU Parliament’s Subcommittee on Tax Matters Public hearing on “The impact of national tax reforms on the EU economy”

EU “Fiscal Fairness”

Europe is facing difficult times. Governments are balancing the need for more resources with the need to maintain peace and prosperity domestically. To properly strike this balance, EU policymakers must incorporate “Fiscal Fairness” into the debate.

2 min read
Do tax increases reduce inflation. See higher taxes inflation policies and cause for inflation amid looming recession

Prospects for Federal Tax and Budget Policy after the 2022 Midterms

Two weeks after the 2022 midterm elections, it’s becoming clearer where tax policy may be headed for the rest of the year and into 2023. In the short term, Congress must deal with tax extenders and expiring business tax provisions that may undermine the economy.

5 min read
Massachusetts budget tax proposal Governor Healey budget question 1 ballot measure Massachusetts millionaires tax or Massachusetts graduated income tax amendment MA

What to Expect in a Post-Flat Tax Massachusetts

On Election Day, a narrow majority of Massachusetts voters approved Question 1, also known as the Fair Share Amendment, which will transition the Commonwealth from a flat rate individual income tax to a graduated rate system.

7 min read
Maryland digital advertising taxes Maryland digital tax

Maryland Court Strikes a Blow to Digital Advertising Taxes

The first-in-the-nation digital advertising tax was recently struck down by a Maryland circuit court on three separate grounds. Other states might want to avoid getting themselves into this situation in the first place.

5 min read
Wisconsin flat tax analysis of Wisconsin flat income tax proposal

A Flat Tax in Wisconsin Can Deliver Tax Relief for Everyone

With increases to the standard deduction, a flat tax could provide a net tax cut to taxpayers of all income levels, providing both short-term and long-term relief to taxpayers across the income spectrum. It would also simplify the tax code in ways that encourage greater investment and economic growth, particularly by ensuring that the marginal rate on small business investment is competitive with peer states.

4 min read
marijuana policy, cannabis policy, federal taxation of recreational marijuana, MORE Act tax Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act

Cannabis Taxes Back on the Ballot in 2022

While changes to federal cannabis law are slow, changes at the state level are accelerating. Recreational cannabis is on the ballot in five states this November—Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota—giving voters the ability to join 19 states that have already legalized recreational marijuana.

5 min read
tax university endowments or tax college endowments analysis of university endowment tax

Should We Tax University Endowments?

Taxing university endowments has gained popularity recently, partly in response to the Biden administration’s forgiveness of student loan debt. Some view it as a means of holding universities accountable for the product they’re selling. Others view it as a tool to tamp down tuition rates or punish ideological opponents. But do these arguments hold water and is an endowment tax sound policy?

7 min read
California tax increases, California tax ballot measure California Proposition 30 and California windfall profits tax proposal for California gas prices and tax on oil companies

California Can’t Give Up Tax Increases

California is no stranger to high taxes, and the state has enough going for it that its economy can withstand higher tax burdens than would be viable in other parts of the country. But there’s always a tipping point.

6 min read
Tax treatment of Social Security benefits remains a confusing matter for taxpayers Social Security cost of living adjustment Social Security tax

Tax Treatment of Social Security Benefits Remains a Confusing Matter for Taxpayers

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security payments based on inflation over the previous year. This has brought renewed attention to how the tax code treats Social Security benefits, which can be a confusing subject for taxpayers.

4 min read
state tax inflation response like state tax rebates and tax holidays to combat inflation Federal tax collections inflation surging 2022

Inflation Is Surging, So Are Federal Tax Collections

Federal tax collections are approaching the highest levels in U.S. history set during World War II and again during the dot-com bubble in 2000. Meanwhile, federal spending in FY 2022 was over 25 percent of GDP—a level only exceeded during the height of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, and during World War II.

4 min read