Why the Economic Effects of Taxes (Including Tariffs) Matter
Estimating the economic effects of different types of taxes informs policymakers about the trade-offs of raising revenue in a given way.
5 min read
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2024 Election Insights | Whose Plan Wins? Trump vs. Harris on Taxes
What do the contrasting tax proposals of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump mean for Americans as the 2024 election approaches?
Social Security: Lessons for Reform
Social Security is by far the largest federal government spending program. The latest trustees report shows the program is on a fiscally unsustainable path that will exacerbate the US debt crisis if its imbalances are not addressed in the near term.
33 min read
Blog
Short FormWhy Should I Care About the Corporate Tax Rate?
Smart tax policy takes into account how policy changes impact real people. Understanding who bears the burden of the corporate tax and the effects of a higher rate are essential to sound policymaking.
4 min read
Trump’s “No Tax on Overtime Pay” Proposal Would Distort Work Decisions
Exempting overtime would unnecessarily complicate the tax code, increase compliance and administrative costs, and reduce neutrality by favoring certain work arrangements over others.
5 min read
2024 Election Insights | Trump on Taxes, Tariffs, & Harris’s Economic Plans
While tax policy was almost nonexistent in the first debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, this episode will explore each candidate’s latest proposals in greater depth.
Blog
Short FormHow World War II Reshaped US Taxation
World War II shaped many aspects of the modern world, including the US tax code. But the dramatic changes to our system that military mobilization required didn’t subside when the fighting finished; they’ve persisted to today.
4 min read
How Do Import Tariffs Affect Exports?
When the government imposes a tariff, it may be trading jobs and production in one part of the economy for jobs in another part of the economy by increasing production costs for downstream industries.
6 min read
The Corporate Tax Rate Tug-of-War
Depending on the 2024 US election, the current corporate tax rate of 21 percent could be in for a change. See the modeling here.
4 min read
Harris Should Break With Biden, Trump on Trade
If Vice President Kamala Harris is elected the 47th U.S. president, she would inherit a trade war started by former President Donald Trump and continued by President Joe Biden. But she’d also have the chance to end it.
Trump’s “No Tax on Social Security” Proposal Is Unsound and Fiscally Irresponsible
Exempting Social Security benefits from income tax would increase the budget deficit by about $1.6 trillion over 10 years, accelerate the insolvency of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds, and create a new hole in the income tax without a sound policy rationale.
6 min read
Frustrated with Tipping? No Tax on Tips Could Make It Worse
“No tax on tips” might be a catchy idea on the campaign trail. But it could create plenty of headaches, from figuring out tips on previously untipped services to an unexpectedly large loss of federal revenue.
6 min read
A Lower Corporate Tax Rate Can Be Part of Broader Tax Reform
A 15 percent corporate rate would be pro-growth, but it would not address the structural issues with today’s corporate tax base.
4 min read
Placing Biden and Trump Tax Proposals in Historical Context
From President Biden calling the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act the “largest tax cut in American history,” to former President Trump claiming that Biden “wants to raise your taxes by four times,” the campaign rhetoric on taxes may be sparking some confusion.
5 min read
How Have Federal Revenues Evolved since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act?
As members of Congress prepare to address the expiration of the TCJA, they should appreciate how revenues have evolved since 2017.
4 min read
Tax Policy Questions 2024 Presidential Candidates Should Address
Both candidates should provide clear and honest answers about their plans (or lack thereof) to address the nation’s urgent tax policy issues.
8 min read
Supreme Court Rules against Moores 7-2, Leaves Most Questions Undecided
The government won in Moore. However, given the narrow opinion of the court and the reasoning in the Barrett concurrence and the Thomas dissent, it seems likely that future rulings under other facts and circumstances could favor taxpayers instead.
7 min read
Trump and Biden’s Tariff Tango
Tariffs are a hot topic this election cycle for both President Biden and former President Trump. But why are tariffs so popular despite their economic downsides?
How the Section 232 Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum Harmed the Economy
The Section 232 tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum raised the cost of production for manufacturers, reducing employment in those industries, raising prices for consumers, and hurting exports.
18 min read
So-Called Strategic Tariffs Are Still Tariffs—and Still Protectionist
Calling the latest round of tariffs “strategic” does not change the underlying reality: these policies are just another form of protectionism, and therefore, subject to all the same economic problems.
4 min read