Skip to content

Social Security

All Related Articles

Summary of the Latest Federal Income Tax Data, 2024 Update

Summary of the Latest Federal Income Tax Data, 2024 Update

The 2021 tax year was the fourth since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) made many significant, but temporary, changes to the individual income tax code to lower tax rates, widen brackets, increase the standard deduction and child tax credit, and more.

9 min read
US deficits, spending, and taxes CBO Budget and Economic Outlook 2024

Major Takeaways from CBO’s Updated Long-Term Outlook

The CBO projects deficits will be higher than historical levels, largely due to growth in mandatory spending programs While some recent legislation has reduced the deficit, the Inflation Reduction Act is proving to be more expensive than originally promised.

5 min read
Federal deficit grew to $2 trillion in FY 2023 Federal Budget Deficit Data and Projections

Federal Deficit Grew to $2 Trillion in FY 2023

Outside of the pandemic years, this year’s federal deficit is the highest in U.S. history. While tax revenue has increased about 28 percent since the pre-pandemic year 2019, spending has increased about 46 percent. Annual deficits are headed towards $3 trillion over the next few years.

3 min read
Tax Foundation experts analyze ways to rein in the national debt, including US debt and deficits and federal budget and US spending and taxes

How to Rein in the National Debt

Now is the time for lawmakers to focus on long-term fiscal sustainability, as further delay will only make an eventual fiscal reckoning that much harder and more painful. Congressional leaders should follow through on convening a fiscal commission to deal with the long-term budgetary challenges facing the country.

35 min read

Sources of Personal Income, Tax Year 2020

Reviewing reported income helps to understand the composition of the federal government’s revenue base and how Americans earn their taxable income. The individual income tax, the federal government’s largest source of revenue, is largely a tax on labor.

9 min read
Tackling US debt crisis requires Medicare reform and Social Security reform to reduce the deficit

Tackling America’s Debt and Deficit Crisis Requires Social Security and Medicare Reform

Any serious proposal to tackle the emerging debt and deficit crisis must also address our largest mandatory spending programs: Social Security and Medicare. Together, these two programs will be responsible for nearly 80 percent of the deficit’s rise between 2023 and 2032, according to Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projections.

8 min read
US Tax Burden on Labor 2023 US Income Tax Burden and US Payroll Tax Burden

The U.S. Tax Burden on Labor, 2023

Although the U.S. has a progressive tax system and a relatively low tax burden compared to the OECD average, average-wage workers still pay more than 30 percent of their wages in taxes.

4 min read
EU tax revenue stability amid global financial crisis European public debt crisis and Eurozone recession tax policy

Tax Policy and Economic Downturns in Europe

While some temporary policies can help in a crisis, policymakers should focus their efforts on sustainable policies that support growth and the resilience of businesses (and government coffers) over the long term.

6 min read
Stockholm Sweden Scandinavian tax systems to fund large social safety net and public service programs

Insights into the Tax Systems of Scandinavian Countries

Scandinavian countries are well known for their broad social safety net and their public funding of services such as universal health care, higher education, parental leave, and child and elderly care. So how do Scandinavian countries raise their tax revenues?

7 min read
Testimony: The Fiscal State of the Union

Testimony: The Fiscal State of the Union

Federal spending, deficits, and debt are at unsustainable levels. The proposed federal budget is laden with redundant programs, obsolete programs, corporate welfare, and nationalized industries. As Congress begins to craft the FY 2024 federal budget, it needs to establish a process of systematically reviewing programs and priorities.

12 min read
Deteriorating federal budget deficits highlight need to stabilize federal debt. See federal deficit taxes contextualized amid push to balance the budget

Deteriorating Federal Budget to Run $1.4 Trillion Deficit in 2023, CBO Projects

Immediately balancing the $20 trillion budget shortfall would take drastic, unwanted policy changes. Instead, lawmakers should target a more achievable goal, such as stabilizing debt and deficits with an eye toward comprehensive tax reform that can produce sufficient revenue with minimal economic harm.

4 min read
Tax treatment of Social Security benefits remains a confusing matter for taxpayers Social Security cost of living adjustment Social Security tax

Tax Treatment of Social Security Benefits Remains a Confusing Matter for Taxpayers

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced the cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security payments based on inflation over the previous year. This has brought renewed attention to how the tax code treats Social Security benefits, which can be a confusing subject for taxpayers.

3 min read
wealth inequality trends cbo bernie sanders wealth gap social security benefits

Focusing on Wealth Inequality Is Counterproductive

While there is more we can do to encourage lower- and middle-class households to save more and build wealth, a closer, more comprehensive look at the data and trends in other countries suggests that America’s wealth gap is not as alarming as some may think.

5 min read

Sources of Personal Income, Tax Year 2019

Reviewing reported income helps to understand the composition of the federal government’s revenue base and how Americans earn their taxable income. The individual income tax, the federal government’s largest source of revenue, is largely a tax on labor.

10 min read