All Related Articles
2024 State Business Tax Climate Index
In recognition of the fact that there are better and worse ways to raise revenue, our Index focuses on how state tax revenue is raised, not how much. The rankings, therefore, reflect how well states structure their tax systems.
111 min readThe U.S. Tax Burden on Labor, 2023
Although the U.S. has a progressive tax system and a relatively low tax burden compared to the OECD average, average-wage workers still pay more than 30 percent of their wages in taxes.
4 min read2023 State Business Tax Climate Index
While there are many ways to show how much is collected in taxes by state governments, our Index is designed to show how well states structure their tax systems by focusing on the how more than the how much in recognition of the fact that there are better and worse ways to raise revenue.
129 min readImpact of Elections on French Tax Policy and EU Own Resources
The French election results are paralyzing for French pro-growth tax reforms, pessimistic for EU own resources, and dire for overall economic certainty.
5 min readEvaluating Wyoming’s Business Tax Competitiveness
Wyoming’s low taxes are highly attractive, but policymakers are still hard at work helping the state achieve broader economic development goals.
13 min readRanking Unemployment Insurance Taxes on Our 2022 State Business Tax Climate Index
Ranking unemployment insurance tax codes on the 2022 State Business Tax Climate Index. Learn more about state unemployment insurance tax code and systems.
4 min readStates Should Act Fast on UC Trust Fund Deposits, and Other Takeaways from the New Treasury Guidance on ARPA Funding
States will continue to cut taxes because revenues are skyrocketing. But some will also be keeping a close eye on litigation targeting this dubious restriction on states’ fiscal autonomy.
8 min read2022 State Business Tax Climate Index
While there are many ways to show how much is collected in taxes by state governments, our State Business Tax Climate Index is designed to show how well states structure their tax systems and provides a road map for improvement.
169 min readAligning Kentucky’s Tax Code for Growth
7 min readStates Have $95 Billion to Restore their Unemployment Trust Funds—Why Aren’t They Using It?
Given the restrictions on the use of federal relief funding, and the significantly higher tax burdens on employment that will result if trust funds are not replenished, applying federal aid to these trust funds should be an urgent priority.
10 min readThe Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan Avoids Tax Increases, Undermines User-Pay Principle, and Misses Chance to Modernize Obsolete Programs
The good news is that lawmakers avoided raising taxes to cover the cost of the new spending and instead used some reasonable fees and asset sales. The bad news is that half of the offsets come from unused, debt-financed COVID-19 relief funds and the economic return on many of these investments is questionable.
7 min readWisconsin Legislature Considering Several Pro-Growth Tax Reforms
Reducing the second-highest individual income tax rate, repealing the TPP tax, and freezing UI tax rates are three valuable reforms that would help promote a smooth economic recovery in Wisconsin while setting the state up for robust economic growth for years to come.
6 min readWisconsin’s Surplus Presents Opportunity for Down Payment on Future Economic Growth
As Wisconsin emerges from the pandemic, state policymakers have a rare opportunity to reinvest excess revenues in a structurally sound manner that will make the state more attractive to individuals and businesses, promote a quicker and more robust economic recovery, and put the state on the path to increased in-state investment and growth for many years to come.
7 min readTax Foundation Webinar Recaps the Complexities of the 2021 Tax Filing Season
During the pandemic, economic relief administered through the tax code exploded as Congress passed nearly $6 trillion of legislation into law. That left the 2021 tax filing season, which ended May 17, with complications that still linger.
4 min readLocation Matters 2021: The State Tax Costs of Doing Business
A landmark comparison of corporate tax costs in all 50 states, Location Matters provides a comprehensive calculation of real-world tax burdens, going beyond headline rates to demonstrate how tax codes impact businesses and offering policymakers a road map to improvement.
8 min readA Neutral Tax Code Counts Unemployment Compensation as Taxable Income
Since 1987, unemployment compensation benefits have been subject to federal income tax and, in most states, to state income tax. According to the Congressional Research Service, such treatment—including unemployment compensation benefits in taxable income—is common across industrial nations.
4 min readWhat to Expect During the 2021 Tax Season
The IRS recently announced the extension of tax filing and payment deadlines from April 15th to May 17th to help taxpayers navigating the many tax changes amid the pandemic and give the IRS opportunity to clear its backlog of tax returns and correspondence.
7 min readU.S. COVID-19 Relief Provided More Than $60,000 in Benefits to Many Unemployed Families
During the pandemic, an unemployment family of four previously earning $60,000 will have received $50,840 in federal and state unemployment benefits from April 1, 2020 to September 6, 2021, plus $11,400 in stimulus payments, plus $7,200 in Child Tax Credit, totaling $69,440 in combined COVID-19 relief benefits.
4 min read