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COVID-19 (coronavirus) Pandemic Tax Policies

As the U.S. federal, state, and local governments, as well as countries around the world, continue to implement measures to support their economies amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, our experts are providing trusted analysis of the latest coronavirus tax developments to better inform policymakers, journalists, and taxpayers.

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Bipartisan tax policy roots

The Future of Tax Policy with Douglas Holtz-Eakin

What do election results mean for the future of the federal tax code? What role will tax policy play in curbing the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic? How should policymakers address the federal deficit and could a carbon tax be part of that solution? How much of President-elect Joe Biden’s pre-election tax plan will actually come to pass?

Remote work tax revenue implications digital nomad visas, digital nomads, tax incentives for remote workers. Deutsche Bank tax work-from-home tax Deutsche Bank privilege tax on remote work

No, We Don’t Need a Federal Work-From-Home Tax

A recent Deutsche Bank analysis proposes a federal work-from-home tax (“privilege tax”), which is designed to strip away the financial benefit of remote work.

5 min read
Federal tax policy after the 2020 election, upcoming federal tax increases, another round of economic relief

Prospects for Federal Tax Policy After the 2020 Election

President Biden and Congress should concentrate on areas of common ground, finding incremental places to improve the tax code. A bipartisan bill recently introduced to help retirement savings is a good model for what incremental reform may look like.

4 min read
Zoom Video Communications, Zoom Video Calls, Zoom Calls, Zoom tax

Zoom Calls Not a Taxing Matter

Zoom Video Communications announced that, come November, the company will start collecting and remitting local utility and communications taxes in California, New York, Maryland, and Virginia.

5 min read
Biden’s tax plan would be the one of the largest tax increase since the 1940s and one of the largest tax increases not associated with wartime funding, Biden's tax plan in historical context

Placing Joe Biden’s Tax Increases in Historical Context

If we consider Biden’s tax plan over the entire budget window (2021 to 2030) as a percentage of GDP—1.30 percent—it would rank as the 6th largest tax increase since the 1940s and and one of the largest tax increases not associated with wartime funding.

6 min read
us jobs lost during coronavirus, us jobs coronavirus us layoffs, US jobs data, US economy covid-19

Role of the 2017 Tax Reform in the Nascent U.S. Economic Recovery

While there is still plenty of work to be done to get unemployed Americans back to work, the U.S. economy as a whole is now recovering strongly from the pandemic-induced economic downturn, outperforming forecasts from earlier in the year and outperforming most other developed countries.

4 min read
state sales tax jurisdictions by state, sales tax jurisdictions in the us

How Many Sales Tax Jurisdictions Does Your State Have?

Following the Wayfair decision, states’ move to tax online sales has increased the importance of simplicity in sales tax systems, as sellers now have to deal with differing regulations in multiple states. There are over 11,000 standard sales tax jurisdictions in the United States in 2020

2 min read
New Jersey millionaires tax, New Jersey FY 2021 budget

Seventh Time’s the Charm: New Jersey Passes Millionaires Tax

After six unsuccessful tries at passage, it appears the coronavirus crisis has tipped the scales in favor of Gov. Phil Murphy’s (D) millionaires tax. New Jersey may be feeling the financial squeeze right now, but this large income tax change will not solve budget problems and may exacerbate funding issues by making the state even unfriendlier to businesses.

3 min read
marijuana tax gross receipts tax

Voters in Four States to Vote on Recreational Marijuana

Legalizing recreational marijuana is a hot topic in many states where the state budgets are in disarray because of the coronavirus pandemic and new revenue sources are being sought.

7 min read
environmental tax policies, environmental taxation

Countries Eye Environmental Taxation

A recent OECD report on 2020 tax reforms reveals an increase in the number of environmentally-related tax policies, including gas taxes, carbon taxes, and taxes on electricity consumption.

5 min read
Sweden's 2021 budget, Sweden 2021 permanent personal income tax cuts

Sweden’s 2021 Budget: Permanent Income Tax Cuts

Sweden’s 2021 budget outlines an aggressive plan to both cut income taxes in a permanent manner alongside multiple other tax cuts and spending increases

3 min read
emergency savings accounts retirement savings accounts Build Back Better plan inflation Build Back Better plan deficit carbon tax reconciliation hr3 tax prescription drugs tax help pay for reconciliation, revenue for federal government retirement savings federal reform proposals SECURE Act Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021

CBO Releases New Long-term Budget Outlook

The pandemic precipitated the steepest decline in economic output and employment in recent history, which is leading to a drop in tax revenue. At the same time, the federal response to the crisis is producing a large increase in spending. This combination will cause the federal budget deficit to spike.

5 min read
Maryland alcohol tax, Maryland beer tax, Maryland wine tax

Maryland Lawmakers Look to Alcohol for New Revenue

While there are legitimate reasons for increasing and levying excise taxes, legislatures should proceed with caution in the aftermath of the pandemic. Importantly, revenue from increased excise taxes should generally be allocated to spending related to the negative externalities as that revenue is too volatile and unreliable to rely on for long-term budget priorities.

3 min read
How have your state's tax revenues changed in FY 2020 compared to FY 2019? State revenue collections beat state revenue expectations in FY 2020 despite coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn

New Census Data Shows States Beat Revenue Expectations in FY 2020

State tax revenue collections were down 5.5 percent in FY 2020, driven by a dismal final quarter (April through June) as states began to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. While these early losses are certainly not desirable, they are manageable and far better than many feared.

16 min read
EU budget tax EU tax, excise state of mind, excise tax trend to fill budget gaps

An Excise State of Mind

Even during a crisis when budgets are squeezed, policymakers should put their efforts into serious reforms of existing income and consumption taxes rather than leaving good tax policy behind for an excise state of mind.

6 min read
VAT Gap EU member state 2020

New European Commission Report: VAT Gap

Just as COVID-19 is putting pressure on other sources of revenue, the loss of VAT revenues resulting from the crisis will force governments to evaluate their VAT systems.

3 min read
The Sticks: Inflation Reduction Act’s Energy-Related Tax Increases

How the CARES Act Fixed a Tax Bias Against Green Investment

One under-discussed part of the CARES Act, passed in March to provide economic relief during the COVID-19 epidemic, is a correction to a drafting error in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, often known as the “retail glitch.”

3 min read