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.

Next UK Prime Minister Election or UK Conservative Party or Tory Leadership Election between Rishi Sunak tax policies and and Liz Truss tax policies
Blog

Taxes and the UK’s new Prime Minister

In an already-challenging economic environment, new UK Prime Minister Liz Truss must get tax rates correct to avoid over-burdening a population and business sector facing immense uncertainty. Focusing only on rates while ignoring the base misses an opportunity for real, pro-growth reform.

4 min read
Idaho flat income tax reform Idaho flat tax Idaho income tax reform Idaho to Consider Flat Tax in Special Session
Blog

Idaho to Consider Flat Income Tax in Special Session

As Idaho attempts to further solidify its position as a growth-oriented, taxpayer-friendly state this special session, other states should look to its example and pursue similar reforms.

6 min read
New Mexico business tax climate ranking New Mexico business tax reform New Mexico tax reform
Blog

New Mexico and the Question of Tax Competitiveness

Every change to a state’s tax system makes its business tax climate more or less competitive compared to other states and makes the state more or less attractive to business.

7 min read
Tax compliance costs of IRS regulations tax complexity and tax simplification Chaotic IRS filing season shows flaws in IRS benefits distribution, IRS tax credit administration, IRS budget, and 2022 tax season with filing taxes Summary of the Latest Federal Income Tax Data, 2022 Update 2022 federal income tax data
Blog

The Tax Compliance Costs of IRS Regulations

In a pattern that has become all too common in recent decades, the newly enacted Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) added yet another layer of complexity to an already complex and burdensome federal tax code.

9 min read