Business Taxes

Doing Tax Policy at the Ballot Is Not for the Faint of Heart

Some tax ballot initiatives will be straightforward, some will be complex, and—let’s be honest—some will be a drafting nightmare.

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

The Inflation Reduction Act primarily uses carrots, not sticks, to incentivize reductions in carbon emissions. It creates or expands tax credits for various low- or no-emission technologies, rather than imposing a generalized penalty for emissions, such as a carbon tax.

After the UK Super-Deduction: Assessing Proposals for the Reform of Capital Allowances

For many years, the UK has adopted a strikingly ungenerous approach to capital cost recovery – the ability of firms to write off investment against tax. This has coincided with consistently low levels of business investment. The super-deduction, which has temporarily made the UK tax system much more supportive of capital investment in plant and machinery is set to expire.

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.

Net Operating Loss Carryforward and Carryback Provisions in Europe, 2022

Carryover tax provisions help businesses “smooth” their risk and income, making the tax code more neutral across investments and over time.

Influential Tax Reformer Ernest S. Christian, Jr., Leaves Legacy—and Blueprint

Ernest S. Christian, Jr., (1937-2022) was one of the tax policy community’s most distinguished and influential experts, showing us how effective sound tax policy can be. He passed away on September 13th, leaving behind a legacy of tax reform.

Unpacking the State and Local Tax Toolkit

Maine has blueberry taxes. Alabama has mosquito taxes. Each state and county has its tax quirks. But when state and local governments want to raise revenues, there are four key taxes they turn to.

Breaking Down the Inflation Reduction Act’s Green Energy Tax Credits

The Inflation Reduction Act created numerous tax subsidy programs intended to accelerate the transition to a greener economy.

Property Taxes by State and County, 2022

Property taxes are the primary tool for financing local government and generating state-level revenue in some states as well.

Massachusetts’ Graduated Income Tax Amendment Threatens the Commonwealth’s Economic Transformation

Massachusetts’ competitive tax advantage in New England is driven primarily by its competitive individual income tax rate and its sales and use tax structure. If the Commonwealth changes its tax code in ways that narrow the base or increase the rate, it cedes greater tax competitiveness to other states, regionally and nationally.

Audit

Ensuring Tax Rates Don’t Rise with Inflation

If ever there was a paycheck protection program, defending people from bracket creep may be the most important one ever designed.

Taxes and the UK’s new Prime Minister

In an already-challenging economic environment, new UK Prime Minister Liz Truss must get tax rates correct to avoid over-burdening a population and business sector facing immense uncertainty. Focusing only on rates while ignoring the base misses an opportunity for real, pro-growth reform.

New Mexico and the Question of Tax Competitiveness

Every change to a state’s tax system makes its business tax climate more or less competitive compared to other states and makes the state more or less attractive to business.

Accounting for the New Book Minimum Tax

The Inflation Reduction Act includes a book minimum tax, which is raising the eyebrows of accountants everywhere. Scott Dyreng, a professor of accounting at Duke University, and Daniel Bunn join Jesse to discuss how these minimum taxes work and how companies aim to comply with all these new complex rules and tax increases.

The Economic, Revenue, and Distributional Effects of Permanent 100 Percent Bonus Depreciation

The phaseout of 100 percent bonus depreciation, scheduled to take place after the end of 2022, will increase the after-tax cost of investment in the U.S. Permanently extending it would increase long-run economic output by 0.4 percent and increase employment by 73,000 FTE jobs.

IRS Is Raising More with Less, But New Funding Misses the Mark

The Inflation Reduction Act focused more on enforcement and hiring more auditors rather than programs that make it easier for taxpayers to comply with the code and the IRS to administer it.

Unpacking the State and Local Tax Toolkit: Sources of State and Local Tax Collections (FY 2020)

The mix of tax sources states choose can have important implications for both revenue stability and economic growth, and the many variations across states are indicative of the different ways states weigh competing policy goals.

The Tax Compliance Costs of IRS Regulations

In a pattern that has become all too common in recent decades, the newly enacted Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) added yet another layer of complexity to an already complex and burdensome federal tax code.

“Taxing Big Oil Profiteers Act” Risks Disincentivizing Production, Inventory

In response to high oil prices, Sen. Wyden has proposed raising taxes on oil and gas companies in three ways. His “Taxing Big Oil Profiteers Act” would create an additional 21 percent tax on so-called excess profits earned over 10 percent of revenues of oil companies with annual revenues over $1 billion; levy a tax on stock buybacks; and remove last-in, first-out (LIFO) tax treatment of inventory accounting.