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.

Digital Tax Collection Triggers New U.S. Tariffs on France
A multilateral solution to digital taxation would be preferable over DSTs and retaliatory measures, especially during these challenging economic times. DSTs are indeed distortionary taxes that can act as trade barriers. Retaliatory tariffs, however, only further weaken the U.S.-French trade relationship and will negatively impact both economies.
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Three New Year’s Resolutions for Tax Policymakers
The world is ready to close the book on 2020 and start fresh in 2021, awaiting widespread vaccination, an end to the pandemic, and the beginning of a new chapter of economic recovery. With a fresh start in mind, and a healthy dose of optimism, here are three New Year’s resolutions for crafting better tax policy in the coming year.
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The COVID-19 Relief Bill Contains Over $100 Billion in State Aid After All
The $900 billion coronavirus relief package provides nearly $82 billion for the Education Stabilization Fund, $14 billion for mass transit, and $10 billion for state highways,
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COVID-19 Relief Package FAQ
The latest $900 billion coronavirus relief bill extends and modifies several provisions first enacted in the CARES Act, Congress’s $2.2 trillion pandemic relief law that was passed in March. With this package, lawmakers will have responded to the coronavirus and related economic hardship with a record-setting $3 trillion of fiscal support.
14 min read
Tax Extenders Hitch a Ride on Omnibus and COVID-19 Relief Deal
Tax extenders are no stranger to hitching a last-minute ride on year-end legislation. This year they made another last-minute appearance, finding a hold in their own division of the 5,593-page bill to fund the government through the fiscal year and provide additional coronavirus relief through March.
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Congress Passes $900 Billion Coronavirus Relief Package
The coronavirus relief package represents the second-largest recovery legislation, behind only the CARES Act, for a combined total of more than $3 trillion in support.
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Pandemic Highlights the Need for Better Tax Policy for Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses
As Congress works to provide another round of emergency economic relief, it is a good time to step back and consider how tax policy affects entrepreneurs and small businesses.
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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.
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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.
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