Gross Receipt Taxes Become Part of New Jersey’s Recreational Marijuana Legalization
By the time marijuana is sold to a consumer, local taxes could be applied four different times—by one or more localities.
5 min read
Blog Articles
6166 Results
Where State Unemployment Compensation Trust Funds Stand in December
With 2020 nearing its close, state unemployment compensation trust funds continue to struggle under the weight of so many pandemic-created beneficiaries, though some funds are beginning to stabilize as people increasingly return to work.
3 min read
State Tax Collections Down 4.4 Percent Through September, While Local Tax Collections Rise
Combined state and local tax collections were down only $7.6 billion across the period, representing a total state and local tax revenue decline of 0.7 percent compared to the first nine months of 2019.
6 min read
Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Looks to Eliminate Income Tax
Lt. Governor Griffin’s goal to eliminate the income tax is a commendable one that should be considered with cautious optimism, though with the understanding that even a well-designed process may end up putting more weight on an already uncompetitive sales tax. In the meantime, there is plenty of space for incremental improvements in Arkansas’s income tax that will make the state more competitive.
4 min read
Senate Policymakers Release $908 Billion Bipartisan COVID-19 Relief Proposals
A bipartisan group of lawmakers released two compromise relief bills to address the COVID-19 pandemic, totaling about $908 billion: The Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act and the Bipartisan State and Local Support and Small Business Protection Act.
4 min read
Details and Analysis of State and Local Aid Under the Bipartisan State and Local Support and Small Business Protection Act of 2020
On Monday, members of the bipartisan Gang of Eight negotiating an end-of-year pandemic relief package announced that they had settled on language and had divided the package into two bills: a pandemic aid package and a $160 billion state and local support package.
6 min read
2020 Spanish Regional Tax Competitiveness Index
The Regional Tax Competitiveness Index (RTCI) for Spain allows policymakers, businesses, and taxpayers to evaluate and measure how their regions’ tax systems compare. This Index has been designed to analyze how well regions structure their tax system. Additionally, it serves as a road map for policymakers to reform their tax systems and make their regions more competitive and attractive for entrepreneurs and residents.
7 min read
Individual and Business CARES Act Tax Provisions Due to Expire on December 31
Any additional relief to address a temporary economic crisis should be temporary, targeted toward those most in need, and consistent with good long-term tax policy.
3 min read
New York Lawmaker Floats a Scrooge Tax on Online Shopping
Just in time for the holidays, one lawmaker wants to tax New York City residents $3 for every package they order online, excluding food and medicine
3 min read
What Federal Policymakers Can Learn from Business Tax Refunds in 2020
Policymakers should consider finding ways to simplify the administration of relief during future crises. This will help ensure the relief is timely and targeted, key components of any successful relief package for this crisis or crises in the future.
3 min read
Additional Pandemic Relief Might Be Taking Shape
With days left until government funding runs out, congressional lawmakers are down to the wire to fund the government and provide additional pandemic-related relief to the households and businesses trying to make it through the winter.
3 min read
Walter Williams, RIP
1 min read
Poland Borrows an Idea from Estonia’s Tax System, but Misses the Point
It’s important for Poland to understand the main lesson of the Estonian approach: taxes should be designed with an overarching approach to maximize neutrality and minimize complexity and distortions. Instead of simply adopting a preference for small businesses, the Polish government should instead overhaul its corporate tax rules and truly adopt the Estonian approach to taxation.
2 min read
Indiana Lawmakers Consider Cigarette Tax Increase
While increasing taxes on cigarettes may limit demand, a 200 percent hike may also result in a number of unintended consequences, such as increased smuggling.
2 min read
How Would the Proposed $160 Billion in State and Local Aid Be Allocated?
A bipartisan coalition of Senators unveiled a $908 billion COVID-19 relief bill on Tuesday, which includes, among other provisions, $160 billion in additional aid to state and local governments. It is worth briefly exploring what this would mean, and the amounts of aid your state might expect.
5 min read
Outlining a Path for Tax Policy Compromises
While a sweeping tax policy bill is unlikely in the near future, lawmakers may be able to come together on a smaller scale. Pairing better cost recovery on a permanent basis with support for vulnerable households as well as additional pandemic-related relief would help promote a more rapid return to growth and help businesses and households weather the ongoing crisis.
4 min read
Potential Regulatory Changes in Tax Policy Under the Biden Administration
President Biden may make greater use of regulatory changes to modify how tax law is interpreted and administered. There are several areas where a Biden Treasury Department, likely led by former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, may focus.
3 min read
Will Mississippi Be the Next State to Phase Out its Income Tax?
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R), in his budget proposal for fiscal year (FY) 2022, has announced his goal of phasing out the state’s income tax by 2030.
3 min read
New York Lawmaker Looks to Sin Taxes Once More
New York already suffers from significant smuggling of untaxed tobacco products—smuggled cigarettes accounted for 53 percent of cigarettes consumed in the state in 2018—and further increasing tobacco taxes is likely to make matters worse.
3 min read