Evaluating U.S. Tax Reform Options & Trade-Offs

The economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic poses a triple challenge for tax policy in the United States. Lawmakers are tasked with crafting a policy response that will accelerate the economic recovery, reduce the mounting deficit, and protect the most vulnerable.

To assist lawmakers in navigating the challenge, and to help the American public understand the tax changes being proposed, the Tax Foundation’s Center for Federal Tax Policy modeled how 70 potential changes to the tax code would affect the U.S. economy, distribution of the tax burden, and federal revenue.

In tax policy there is an ever-present trade-off among how much revenue a tax will raise, who bears the burden of a tax, and what impact a tax will have on economic growth. Armed with the information in our new book, Options for Reforming America’s Tax Code 2.0, policymakers can debate the relative merits and trade-offs of each option to improve the tax code in a post-pandemic world.

Is the Federal Tax Code Progressive and does it Privilege the Rich? US progressive income tax system rich and wealthy fair share tax
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Short Form

Does the Federal Tax Code Privilege the Rich?

The federal income tax drives the tax code’s progressivity. In 2021, taxpayers with higher incomes paid much higher average income tax rates than taxpayers with lower incomes.

4 min read
latest state tax trends and state tax cuts revenue implications include responsible state income tax relief in 2024
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Can States Afford Their Recent Tax Cuts?

With state tax revenues receding from all-time highs, there’s been a great deal of handwringing about whether states can afford the tax cuts adopted over the past few years. Given that 27 states reduced the rate of a major tax between 2021 and 2023, is there reason for concern?

4 min read
Considering 2025 tax reform options for 2025, 2026, and beyond for the 2025 tax debate
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Considering Tax Reform Options for 2025 (and Beyond)

Given that U.S. debt is roughly the size of our annual economic output, policymakers will face many tough fiscal choices in the coming years. The good news is there are policies that both support a larger economy and avoid adding to the debt.

6 min read
Portugal property tax reform and Portugal transfer tax reform
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Europe

Property and Transfer Tax: If It Moves, Stop Taxing It.

Portugal’s turnover tax on real property transfers places a serious drag on economic growth by making it harder for people to relocate for better jobs and living conditions while constraining investment into the development of housing and buildings.

5 min read
Maryland ready-to-drink cocktail tax proposal
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Maryland Proposes a Lower Tax Category for Ready-to-Drink Cocktails

A tax based on alcohol content would be the most neutral, straightforward means of raising revenue from alcohol. But since such a tax would constitute a redesign of the entire alcohol tax system at both the state and federal levels, the next best approach is to create more categories for new products.

4 min read
Blog

U.S. Must Fix R&D Treatment to Compete with China

Though providing permanent R&D expensing alone would not be a China-competition magic bullet, it is a no-brainer place to start. In this technological race, we should first make sure we have not tied our own shoes together.

4 min read