Taxes: The Price We Pay for Government
Have you ever wondered where the money comes from to build roads, maintain a national defense, or pay for programs like Social Security? Taxes.
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Can States Close Budget Deficits with Excise Tax Hikes?
We examine whether excise taxes are a solution to budget deficits, and while the short answer to that question is no, there are of course nuances. Excise taxes can play a role in state revenues even as policymakers appreciate that excise taxes are not viable long-term revenue tools for general spending priorities.
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State Strategies for Closing FY 2020 with a Balanced Budget
State options for closing FY 2020 shortfalls are limited and may ultimately include drawing on reserve funds and even accounting tricks
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How Healthy is Your State’s Rainy Day Fund?
Rainy day funds have increasingly emerged as a standard component of states’ budgeting toolkits. Economic cycles can have significant impacts on state revenue, but states can prepare for the inevitable downturns during good times by putting away money in a revenue stabilization fund.
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Income Taxes Are More Volatile Than Sales Taxes During an Economic Contraction
In the short term, states must anticipate reduced tax collections as the economy slows. And here, not all taxes are created equal. As a general rule, income taxes are more volatile than consumption taxes.
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