Does the Federal Tax Code Privilege the Rich?
The 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 readAcademic studies show that higher corporate tax rates depress worker wages and lead to fewer jobs. An Organisation for Co-operation and Development (OECD) study has found that the corporate tax is the least efficient and most harmful way for governments to raise revenue.
The 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
With state tax revenues receding from all-time highs, there’s been a great deal of handwringing about whether states can afford the tax cuts adopted over the past few years. Given that 27 states reduced the rate of a major tax between 2021 and 2023, is there reason for concern?
4 min read
Given that U.S. debt is roughly the size of our annual economic output, policymakers will face many tough fiscal choices in the coming years. The good news is there are policies that both support a larger economy and avoid adding to the debt.
6 min read
By violating the principles of simplicity, neutrality, and stability, and failing to raise significant revenue, worldwide combined reporting at the state level is doomed to fail.
6 min read
Different taxes have different economic effects, so policymakers should always consider how tax revenue is raised and not just how much is raised.
3 min read
In the context of the 2024 election year, what does President Biden’s 2025 budget proposal signify regarding his strategies and priorities as he seeks reelection? And how could these proposals shape the overall landscape of this election cycle?
Designing tax policy in a way that sustainably finances government activities while minimizing distortions is important for supporting a productive economy.
3 min read
The global economy needs policymakers who are invested in seeing growth recover and avoiding unnecessary barriers to cross-border trade and investment. The challenges countries face will become even more difficult to solve in a stagnant global economy.
Portugal’s turnover tax on real property transfers places a serious drag on economic growth by making it harder for people to relocate for better jobs and living conditions while constraining investment into the development of housing and buildings.
5 min read
We’re examining the differences between the broad incentives provided by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the targeted approach of the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act.
In his FY 2025 budget, Illinois Gov. Pritzker outlined a number of proposed tax changes, including to individual and corporate income taxes, state sales taxes, and sports betting excise taxes.
7 min read
While the approaches differ, they share a reliance on similar linkages: new capital investment drives productivity growth, which grows the economy and raises wages for workers.
37 min read
If a multilateral solution to remove digital services taxes (DSTs) is not agreed to, then DSTs will continue to spread and mutate with negative impacts on some of the most innovative companies in the world.
Though providing permanent R&D expensing alone would not be a China-competition magic bullet, it is a no-brainer place to start. In this technological race, we should first make sure we have not tied our own shoes together.
4 min read
Portugal has the second highest top corporate tax rate in the OECD at 31.5 percent, including multiple top-up taxes. Unlike most OECD countries, Portugal imposes a highly progressive tax structure on corporate income.
6 min read
Pillar Two, the international global minimum tax agreement, has a considerable chance of failing and may ultimately allow the same problems it was designed to address.
6 min read
What does it mean to be an American company?
4 min read
Tax-preferred private retirement accounts often have complex rules and limitations. Universal savings accounts could be a simpler alternative—or addition—to many countries’ current system of private retirement savings accounts.
19 min read
The pandemic led to one of the largest fiscal responses in U.S. history, impacting households across the income distribution.
4 min read
Limiting interest deductibility continues to be a worthwhile policy goal, but given the current climate, policymakers should opt to pair any further limitations with other pro-growth policies such as full expensing to ensure firms’ incentives to invest are preserved.
3 min read