A “Token Tax” Could Kill the Promise of AI
If we want to ensure that AI raises economic growth, we shouldn’t be pursuing tax policies that are stuck in the past and represent some of the worst ideas from the early internet age.
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Cigarette Taxes and Cigarette Smuggling by State, 2024
Cigarette smuggling is costly for states. We estimate that the forgone revenue from smuggled cigarettes totaled more than $4.6 billion in 2024. California lost nearly $1.4 billion in cigarette excise tax collections, and New York missed out on more than $1.2 billion.
5 min read
Rental Cars Shouldn’t Face Another Layer of Tax
Imposing sales taxes on rental car companies’ fleet purchases, in addition to the sales and rental car excise taxes levied when those cars are rented, yields double taxation and causes harmful tax pyramiding.
9 min read
The 2026 Ballot Measures Shaping State Taxes
What happens when voters decide tax policy directly? This November, roughly 40 tax measures are on the ballot across 17 states. Some states want higher taxes on top earners, others want to write low rates into their constitutions, and Missouri voters will decide whether to start a fund that could one day replace every state tax.
Federal Surcharge Drives Another Increase in Wireless Taxes and Fees in 2026
Applying the sales tax, a traditional broad-based consumption tax, is perfectly appropriate, but excessive targeted taxation of wireless services lacks the traditional justifications—a user-pays system or the internalization of social costs—for excise taxation, raising consumer costs and discouraging investment.
5 min read
States’ Nonconformity with Federal Measurements Creates “Barrels” of Compliance Costs
Many states levy taxes on liquids on a per-barrel basis. However, some states define a “barrel” differently than the standard measurement. The landscape of unharmonious units creates complexity and compliance costs for businesses that must pay these taxes in multiple states.
5 min read
Tobacco Excise Directive: Trade-Offs for the Harmonization Vision
The European Union’s revised Tobacco Excise Directive (TED) is the latest proposal from Brussels that raises questions about the role that the EU plays in relation to the Member States.
7 min read
Beer Taxes in Europe, 2026
With much of the continent celebrating Oktoberfest, it is a great time to examine beer taxes across Europe. Hefty beer taxes increase the price consumers pay for their libations.
5 min read
As Nicotine Pouch Market Grows, States Face Trade-Off Between Tax Revenue and Harm Reduction
Oral nicotine pouches have rapidly become a popular option for consumers who want nicotine without the harmful combustion and chemicals of traditional cigarettes. As these alternative nicotine products (ANPs) successfully draw smokers to non-combustible nicotine consumption, many states have scrambled to incorporate these new products into their tax regimes.
6 min read
What the 1990s-Era “Bit Tax” Can Teach Us About AI Tax Proposals
Policymakers considering AI-specific token or compute taxes can learn from the “bit tax” proposals of the 1990s during the rise of the internet.
6 min read
Windfall Profits Taxes in Europe, 2026
As energy prices have declined, European countries have switched the focus of their windfall profits taxes—a one-time tax levied on a company or industry when economic conditions result in large, unexpected profits—from energy providers to the banking and financial sector.
7 min read
What Five Revenue Raisers in the Options Guide Tell Us About Sound Tax Reform
Tax Foundation’s new resource, Options for Reforming America’s Tax Code 3.0, demonstrates that not all revenue-raising options are created equal—some do more harm to the economy than others for the same amount of revenue.
7 min read
Gas Taxes by State, 2026
California levies the highest tax on gasoline at 73.6 cents per gallon (cpg), followed by Illinois at 70.4 cpg and Indiana at 63.1 cpg.
10 min read
New Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Should Reform the Center for Tobacco Products
In 2025, the CTP reduced the backlog of premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) by about 70 percent. This year, the CTP is already accelerating PMTA reviews further and allowing some leeway for products under review but not yet officially authorized. This is great progress, but much more can be made.
7 min read
Vehicle Miles Traveled Taxes Need Not Invade Drivers’ Privacy
Privacy concerns are a primary driver of opposition to vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax systems, but VMT taxes do not need to invade drivers’ privacy to efficiently fund the roads.
6 min read
Electric Vehicle Tax Treatment by State, 2026
As the market share of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road grows, the gas tax’s ability to fund road projects and decrease traffic congestion erodes. Both federal and state real tax revenue per vehicle mile traveled has been on a steady decline for decades, creating a fiscal gap for road expenditures even as the demand for road infrastructure improvements has grown.
6 min read
Cigarette Taxes by State, 2026
The highest state tax on cigarettes is levied by New York at $5.35 per pack of 20. The next highest tax jurisdiction is the District of Columbia at $5.07 per pack of cigarettes, followed closely by Maryland at $5.00 per pack, Rhode Island at $4.50 per pack, and Connecticut at $4.35 per pack.
6 min read
Capital Cost Recovery across the OECD, 2026 Update
The ongoing economic uncertainty from global geopolitical threats, supply chain disruptions, rising interest rates, and lagging economic growth in many developed countries have highlighted the importance of private business investment.
32 min read
The WHO’s Excise Tax Policy Aims at the Wrong Target
Retail prices make poor targets for excise tax policy, often reflecting factors that have little to do with the underlying reasons for which an excise tax is levied in the first place. Unfortunately, the World Health Organization (WHO) has a growing preference for using tax share of retail price (tax incidence) as a primary policy target.
6 min read
Taxing Data Processing Doesn’t Just Tax Big Tech
Policymakers are increasingly considering taxes on data processing and other businesses’ digital services, but these taxes increase costs at many stages of the production process for virtually all businesses, not just tech-oriented businesses.
7 min read