Providing journalists, taxpayers, and policymakers with the latest data on taxes and spending is a cornerstone of the Tax Foundation’s educational mission.
As a nonpartisan, educational organization, the Tax Foundation has earned a reputation for independence and credibility. Our federal tax policy team regularly provides accessible, data-driven insights from sources such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), and others. For more insights on the latest federal tax policies, explore the Tax Foundation’s general equilibrium Taxes & Growth (TAG) Model
New IRS data shows the US federal income tax system continues to be progressive as high-income taxpayers pay the highest average income tax rates. Average tax rates for all income groups remain lower after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).
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How will recent federal tax changes affect you?
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Notably, the OBBBA makes permanent the individual tax changes first put in place by the TCJA, which avoids a tax hike on an estimated 62 percent of tax filers in 2026.
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Explore the IRS inflation-adjusted 2026 tax brackets, for which taxpayers will file tax returns in early 2027.
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Two major fiscal policy changes occurred in 2025: the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and a new tariff regime. While the effects of the policy changes will take years to fully materialize and years more to study, we can now consider how relevant variables have moved to date in response.
How do current federal individual income tax rates and brackets compare historically?
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Different taxes have different economic effects, so policymakers should always consider how tax revenue is raised and not just how much is raised.
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How have US federal capital gains tax rates and collections changed over time?
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How do current federal corporate tax rates and brackets compare historically?
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Tobacco is the most highly taxed consumer product in the United States. The tools on this page allow you to explore state tax rates and the effects tax policy and tobacco regulations can have on state revenues, smuggling, and effective tax rates for different income groups.
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How will recent federal tax changes affect you?
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Wireless consumers continue to be burdened with high taxes, fees, and government surcharges in many states and localities throughout the country.
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Americans will spend almost 7.1 billion hours complying with IRS tax filing and reporting requirements in 2025. This is equal to 3.4 million full-time workers—almost the population of Los Angeles and nearly 38 times the workforce the IRS employed in FY 2024—doing nothing but tax return paperwork for a full year.
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How do current federal individual income tax rates and brackets compare historically?
1 min read
How have US federal capital gains tax rates and collections changed over time?
1 min read