Taxes, Fiscal Policy, and Inflation
Consumer prices rose by 7 percent in 2021, the highest annual rate of inflation since 1982. Where did this inflation come from and what might its impacts be? Tax and fiscal policy offer important clues.
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Featured Articles
Efforts to Combat Inflation’s Impact on the Tax Code Should Remain a Priority in 2023
While hoping for inflation’s continued decline, policymakers should finish the job and index the tax code to prepare for future bouts of high inflation and as a contingency in case it takes longer to defeat elevated inflation than expected.
4 min read
As Inflation Rises, So Will Tax Bills in Many States
Inflation is often called a hidden tax, but in many states it yields a far more literal tax increase as tax brackets fail to adjust for changes in consumer purchasing power.
5 min readAll Related Articles
Inflation Reduction Act One Year After Enactment
Congress should reconsider key elements of the IRA, including the book minimum tax and the green energy credits, with an eye towards simplification and fiscal responsibility.
46 min read
Details and Analysis of the American Families and Jobs Act
Details and analysis of the latest House GOP tax plan, the American Families and Jobs Act. Learn more about the House Republican tax plan.
7 min read
Capital Allowances in Europe, 2023
Capital allowances play an important role in a country’s corporate tax base and can impact investment decisions—with far-reaching economic consequences.
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State Tax Changes Taking Effect July 1, 2023
At least 32 notable tax policy changes recently took effect across 18 states, including alterations to income taxes, payroll taxes, sales and use taxes, property taxes, and excise taxes. See if your state tax code changed.
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Blog
Short FormUnderstanding the House GOP Tax Plan
What does the tax reform package do well? What does it do poorly? How would it affect me?
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Testimony: Reviewing Recent Federal Tax Policies and Considering Pro-Growth Reforms
Lawmakers should focus on simplifying the federal tax code, creating stability, and broadly improving economic incentives. There are incremental steps that can be made on the path to fundamental tax reform.
26 min read
Republican Study Committee’s Tax Plan Simplifies the Tax Code and Offers Pro-Growth Ideas
By extending bonus depreciation and introducing neutral cost recovery, the RSC budget would significantly improve the treatment of investment leading to increased growth, expanded employment, and higher wages.
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R&D Amortization Hurts Economic Growth, Growth Industries, and Small Businesses
The current tax treatment of R&D expenses is irrational, complicated, and counterproductive. Fortunately, fixing this problem is a bipartisan issue.
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Debt Ceiling Deal Reduces Deficits in the Short Term but Delays a More Comprehensive Budget Reckoning
To address the more challenging parts of the budget, especially the unsustainable growth in mandatory spending, lawmakers should follow up on this debt ceiling agreement with a focus on long-term fiscal sustainability.
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Expensing of Machinery and Equipment Should Be Made Permanent
Making expensing permanent is especially important now, when the economy is threatened with a recession and inflation remains high.
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How America’s Debt Problem Compares to Other Countries—and Why It Matters
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the U.S. federal government is among the most indebted governments in the world.
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New Jersey Should Take Opportunity to Make Corporate Taxes More Competitive
By letting the corporate surtax expire, eliminating taxes on GILTI, and embracing full expensing, New Jersey would take important steps toward creating a more welcoming and competitive tax environment.
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Ranking Individual Income Taxes on the 2023 State Business Tax Climate Index
Individual income tax rates can influence location decision-making, especially in an era of enhanced mobility, where it is easier for individuals to move without jeopardizing their current job, or without limiting the scope of their search for a new one.
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How to Unlock Global Growth: The Role of Taxation
Our recent policy conference brought together academics and political leaders to present research on some of the most pressing issues in global tax policy and to discuss solutions that can unlock genuine global growth.
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Is Michigan’s Tax Cut Temporary or Permanent?
Michiganders will pay a lower individual income tax rate next year thanks to high general fund revenues, but these savings may be short-lived following an opinion released by the state’s attorney general.
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VAT Carveouts in Portugal
The Portuguese government has introduced plans to exempt “essential” food items from its value-added tax (VAT) in response to the recent inflation spike. While this may sound like a reasonable measure on the surface, it comes with numerous unintended consequences that compromise its effectiveness.
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Capital Cost Recovery across the OECD, 2023
To recover from the pandemic and put the global economy on a trajectory for growth, policymakers need to aim for more generous and permanent capital allowances. This will spur real investment and can also contribute to more environmentally friendly production across the globe.
33 min read
Mississippi’s Capital Improvement Plan Leads in the South and Nationwide
A recently enacted bill in Mississippi made the Magnolia State only the second state in the country to make full expensing permanent. The bill joins reductions to the individual income tax and capital stock tax rates, already in progress, as model, pro-growth reforms for the region.
5 min read
State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2023
Individual income taxes are a major source of state government revenue, accounting for more than a third of state tax collections:
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