Fifty states, 7,383 state legislators, and over 100,000 bills: legislative sessions are a whirlwind. But the Tax Foundation and its state experts are here to help make sense of the key tax policy issues in state capitols.
This page is intended as a resource for policymakers and others focused on state-level tax policy, providing one-click access to key resources and highlighting papers on some of the biggest issues of 2023. It is also an open invitation to connect directly with our experts with questions or requests for legislative testimony. Contact information for the Tax Foundation expert assigned to each state can be found below.
The past two years have seen the majority of states adopt rate cuts, particularly to individual income taxes. In 2023, we expect a greater focus on structural reforms, such as easing compliance costs for hybrid and remote workers, adopting permanent full expensing of capital investments, and other reforms to promote mobility and modernization as states respond to the new realities of a post-pandemic economy.
In addition to papers on major issues in contemporary tax policy, we also have resources like our six-part “boot camp” series for state lawmakers and others interested in state tax policy, along with publications like the State Business Tax Climate Index (a comparison of the competitiveness of states’ tax structures) and Facts & Figures (a handy guide to state tax rates, collections, and burdens data). We invite you to treat this page as a launching point as you think about state tax policy issues throughout 2023.
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The Tax Foundation has a talented team of experts, each assigned to his or her own set of states. If you have any questions, or if we can be of assistance to you in any way, please reach out to the tax policy expert assigned to your state.
In an era of enhanced mobility, where tax competition matters more than ever, an out-of-date tax code just won’t do. Lawmakers should modernize their tax codes to position their states for success in a rapidly changing economic landscape.
Our new booklet highlights five tax reforms that most states could undertake to grow their economies and position themselves for success. Download the guide below to learn how how states can:
Download State Tax Reform Handbook
While there are many ways to show how much is collected in taxes by state governments, our Index is designed to show how well states structure their tax systems by focusing on the how more than the how much in recognition of the fact that there are better and worse ways to raise revenue.
States are unprepared for the ongoing shift to remote and flexible work arrangements, or for the industries and activities of today, to say nothing of tomorrow. In some states, moreover, existing tax provisions exacerbate the impact of high inflation and contribute to the supply chain crisis.
Facts & Figures serves as a one-stop state tax data resource that compares all 50 states on over 40 measures of tax rates, collections, burdens, and more.
In times of high inflation, states should consider adopting permanent full expensing because it boosts long-run productivity, economic output, and wages.
In what is already a year of significant bipartisan focus on tax relief, 2022 is launching something of a flat tax revolution by reforming income taxes.
On October 5th, the Tax Foundation is hosting a webinar to discuss the new sales tax environment created by the 2018 Wayfair Supreme Court decision—and how state policymakers should respond.
The state EV taxation landscape reflects the evolving transportation sector and the pressing need to address both fiscal gaps in road funding and environmental concerns.
Given enough time, everything old is new again—including tax ideas best consigned to history. But worldwide combined reporting, which a few states flirted with in the 1980s, is rearing its head again.
Property taxes are the primary tool for financing local governments and generate a significant share of state and local revenues.
Policymakers at all levels of government should avoid the pitfalls of incentives. Instead, they should focus on creating a more efficient, neutral, and structurally sound tax code to the benefit of all types of business investment.
Recharacterizing a rather simple repayment transaction as a tax rebate is concerning, not just for sound tax policy, but also for the future of public-private financing partnerships.
If the policy goal of taxing cigarettes is to encourage cessation, vapor taxation must be considered a part of that policy design.
As more and more states move away from throwback or throwout rules, those states that still impose these rules are becoming less attractive for businesses, which are incentivized to relocate their sales activities to non-throwback states.
The potential for alternative tobacco products to save lives is clear and well established. The framework described in this paper uses a scientific approach to tax strategy that will both reduce harm and create a reliable revenue stream for public expenditures.
California pumps out the highest state gas tax rate of 77.9 cents per gallon (cpg), followed by Illinois (66.5 cpg) and Pennsylvania (62.2 cpg).