The Fiscal Consequences of Increased German Spending
Without aligning fiscal discipline with pro-growth tax policies, Germany and the EU risk high deficits, mounting debt, and sustained inflation.
5 min read
Blog Articles
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Fiscal Forum: Tax Foundation Europe Interview with Italian Vice-Minister Maurizio Leo
Daniel Bunn had the opportunity to interview the Vice-Minister for Economy and Finance of Italy, Maurizio Leo, about the tax policy priorities of the Italian government. The conversation shows a commitment to reforming rules that create legal uncertainty and support competitiveness.
5 min read
Localities Opt Out of Georgia’s New Homestead Tax Exemption
Policymakers may consider a broader, more comprehensive property tax reform that creates a uniform system with effective levy limits to prevent unauthorized increases in property tax revenues and, in most cases, property tax bills.
4 min read
Opportunities to Reform the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products
New leadership at the FDA will have the opportunity to revisit decisions that have shifted consumption to illicit products and discouraged harm reduction—policies that, however well intended, have come at a significant cost in lives.
7 min read
Missouri’s New Tax Cut Bill Sets the Stage for a Flat Tax Future
The flat tax trend is gaining momentum nationwide, and Missouri lawmakers are right to identify income tax rate reductions as particularly pro-growth.
4 min read
Blog
Short FormTax and Financial Illiteracy Are Costing Americans
The better we understand taxes, the better we can manage our finances, but it starts with familiarizing ourselves with basic tax concepts like how tax brackets work.
3 min read
No Tax on Tips and Overtime Proposals Gain Steam Across States, but Remain a Bad Idea
The trend of tax exemptions on tips, overtime, and bonuses may sound like a win for workers, but it is a shortsighted fix with long-term drawbacks.
11 min read
North Dakota’s Property Tax Reform Proposals: A Three-Part Approach
North Dakota’s financial position provides it with a rare capacity to deliver meaningful property tax relief. However, policymakers must balance immediate relief with fiscal sustainability and ensure that local governments remain adequately funded in the years ahead.
5 min read
Kansans May Finally Get a Low, Flat Income Tax
If adopted, these reforms would make Kansas’ tax code substantially more competitive while returning revenue growth to taxpayers in a fiscally responsible manner.
4 min read
Taxing Life Insurance
As Congress attempts to prevent the expiration of major Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions, it needs to find ways to pay for them. Ideally, it should use the least economically harmful means possible.
3 min read
Oregon Considers Decoupling from the Federal Tax Code
The proposed changes to federal tax code conformity in Oregon are a good example of a change that could significantly reshape the state’s tax code in the future, despite being framed as temporary technical adjustments.
4 min read
South Carolina Lawmakers Have Other Options for Achieving a Flat Income Tax
Lawmakers are right to enact a single-rate individual income tax. However, lawmakers should consider the full effects of the reform, ensuring that relief is not financed by shifting the tax burden to lower-income individuals and families.
4 min read
A Carbon Tax on Cigarettes in Washington State?
Among the many other tax proposals being considered in Washington this year, policymakers have proposed separate bills that would impose a carbon tax on cigarettes and implement a state-wide flavor ban on tobacco products.
3 min read
Trump’s Reciprocal Tariff Calculations Are Nonsense, Will Punish Mutually Beneficial Trade
Despite characterizing the tariffs as “reciprocal,” the White House didn’t actually measure tariffs, currency manipulation, or trade barrier policies employed by other countries. Instead, it drew its estimates from something else entirely: bilateral trade deficits in goods.
7 min read
How Will President Trump’s Tariffs Affect the Value of the Dollar?
President Trump has announced that new tariffs will go into effect on April 2, following several weeks of threats. These new tariffs are likely to be broader in scope than the limited ones implemented thus far. So who is likely to pay for them?
7 min read
A New State Payroll Tax Could Drive Jobs out of Washington
With a wealth tax, property tax increases, and this new payroll tax on the agenda, Washington lawmakers have reason to fear that many employers could be looking for the exits.
5 min read
Discrimination vs. Neutrality: A Case Study in the Middle of a Trade War
Policymakers should aim for neutral tax policies that support stable revenues like VATs and avoid inviting trade conflicts with discriminatory and economically harmful policies like DSTs.
6 min read
Indiana Mulls Local Income and Property Tax Reforms
This legislative session, local taxes are a major topic of debate in Indiana. Although the state’s property tax system is already nationally competitive, dramatic increases in assessed values have created discontent in recent years.
8 min read
Effects of the Federal Constitutional Court’s Judgment on Germany’s Solidarity Surtax
Surtaxes such as Germany’s solidarity surtax run counter to the principles of simplicity and transparency of the tax system because they impose an additional layer of tax on taxpayers and create a more complex tax structure that often obscures the actual tax burden.
4 min read
Maryland Shouldn’t Mandate Worldwide Combined Reporting Through the Backdoor
Maryland’s proposed budget has garnered headlines for many reasons, but another momentous change is flying under the radar: backdoor adoption of potentially mandatory worldwide combined reporting.
6 min read