“The Short Form” is an educational blog series by TaxEDU to simplify tax issues and explore the world through the lens of tax policy.
Short FormThe recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is certainly big, but is it “beautiful”? Many provisions in the OBBBA will have noticeable impacts on individual taxpayers, including some that are beneficial to your wallet.
4 min read
Short FormThe US national debt is on an unprecedented and unsustainable trajectory that will require ever-greater borrowing and larger interest payments on what is borrowed. These interest payments will, in turn, consume a larger part of the budget, and all Americans will pay the price.
4 min read
Short FormSince the inception of the modern federal individual income tax in 1913, the US tax code has generally become more progressive, not less. Will the recent tax changes made by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) alter this?
4 min read
Short FormIndependence Day is notable for its insistence not just on light taxation, but more importantly on taxation being subject to the consent of the governed through a representative form of government.
4 min read
Short FormWhen you hear about tax policy, you may think of the IRS, the agency responsible for collecting federal taxes. But who is responsible for drafting, reviewing, assessing, and passing tax legislation at the federal level?
4 min read
Short FormThe 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
Short FormThe holiday season is marked by time with friends and family, joy, and gift-giving. But could tax policy make the sticker shock from your shopping list next year tariff-ying?
4 min read
Short FormToday marks 55 years since two students sent the first message across the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) between computers at four universities, which would later become the internet we enjoy today.
5 min read
Short FormSmart 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
Short FormWorld 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
Short FormWith pandemic-era savings now fully depleted and the majority of Americans pointing to their finances as their biggest source of stress, one thing is clear: the US needs policies that help people save more.
4 min read
Short FormThe 2024 Summer Olympics are underway, drawing the attention of billions and continuing a tradition dating back thousands of years. But you know what else originated thousands of years ago and affects even more people? Taxes.
3 min read
Short FormProject Apollo achieved its clear objective to put a man on the moon. But not all government spending projects are so simple (that is, if you consider flying a spaceship to the moon simple).
3 min read
Short FormImproving the country’s fiscal situation won’t be comfortable, but economic growth can help cushion the blow.
3 min read
Short FormThe federal income tax drives the tax code’s progressivity. In 2021, taxpayers with higher incomes paid much higher average income tax rates than taxpayers with lower incomes.
4 min read
Short FormDon’t be fooled by tax myths and misconceptions this tax filing season.
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Short FormWorking from home is great. The tax complications? Not so much.
4 min read
Short FormLearn more about what really happened leading up to the showdown in the harbor with this educational look through tax history.
3 min read
Short FormUnless Congress acts, Americans are in for a tax hike in 2026.
3 min read
Short FormWhat do The Rolling Stones, NFL star Tyreek Hill, and Maryland millionaires have in common? They all moved because of taxes.
4 min read