Zoom Calls Not a Taxing Matter
Zoom Video Communications announced that, come November, the company will start collecting and remitting local utility and communications taxes in California, New York, Maryland, and Virginia.
5 min readZoom Video Communications announced that, come November, the company will start collecting and remitting local utility and communications taxes in California, New York, Maryland, and Virginia.
5 min readThey may not draw as much attention as elections for office, but Election Day 2020 will also feature a number of important votes on tax-related ballot initiatives in states around the country. What are the ballot measures taxpayers should be paying attention to this year and what could they mean for the future of state tax policy? Tax Foundation Vice President of State Projects Jared Walczak and Senior Policy Analyst Katherine Loughead break down measures ranging from recreational marijuana legalization in New Jersey and Montana to income tax increases in Illinois and Arizona.
What can the U.S. do to raise the revenue needed for infrastructure upkeep and accurately internalize the costs associated with road usage?
17 European countries have implemented a carbon tax, ranging from less than €1 per metric ton of carbon emissions in Ukraine and Poland to over €100 in Sweden.
3 min readOregon’s Measure 108 introduces a risk of increased tax avoidance and evasion activity as consumers of the products often procure cigarettes from lower tax jurisdictions. At $3.33 per pack, Oregon would have the highest excise tax on cigarettes in the region.
5 min readHere are the state tax ballot measures to watch on Election Day 2020. Explore the most notable 2020 state tax ballot measures in 15 states.
4 min readMaking the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s individual provisions permanent combined with a carbon tax can be a revenue-neutral trade and increase the long-run size of the economy by 1 percent, making it a sustainable pro-growth option.
23 min readLegalizing recreational marijuana is a hot topic in many states where the state budgets are in disarray because of the coronavirus pandemic and new revenue sources are being sought.
7 min readA recent OECD report on 2020 tax reforms reveals an increase in the number of environmentally-related tax policies, including gas taxes, carbon taxes, and taxes on electricity consumption.
5 min readImplemented in 1991, Sweden’s carbon tax was one of the first in the world. Since then, Sweden’s carbon emissions have been declining, while there has been steady economic growth. Today, Sweden levies the highest carbon tax rate in the world and its carbon tax revenues have been decreasing slightly over the last decade.
21 min readWhile there are legitimate reasons for increasing and levying excise taxes, legislatures should proceed with caution in the aftermath of the pandemic. Importantly, revenue from increased excise taxes should generally be allocated to spending related to the negative externalities as that revenue is too volatile and unreliable to rely on for long-term budget priorities.
3 min readState tax revenue collections were down 5.5 percent in FY 2020, driven by a dismal final quarter (April through June) as states began to feel the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. While these early losses are certainly not desirable, they are manageable and far better than many feared.
16 min readEven during a crisis when budgets are squeezed, policymakers should put their efforts into serious reforms of existing income and consumption taxes rather than leaving good tax policy behind for an excise state of mind.
6 min readThe highway trust fund is on track to run out of money by 2021, states are struggling to cover their transportation spending, and increased fuel economy, plus inflation, is chipping away at gas tax revenue year. How can Congress and state governments ensure they have the revenue necessary to fund our highways? One solution is the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax.
35 min readOne under-discussed part of the CARES Act, passed in March to provide economic relief during the COVID-19 epidemic, is a correction to a drafting error in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, often known as the “retail glitch.”
3 min readFirst, the introduction of the wealth tax would significantly impact international capital flows and cause large economic dislocations in the short term. Second, provinces that are looking at raising their corporate tax rates might hinder capital attraction, growth, and economic recovery.
4 min readAccording to news reports, the Vermont legislature is ready to advance S54 this month or next, to legalize cultivation and sales of marijuana in the state beginning in 2022.
6 min readAside from public health concerns, a ban on flavored tobacco, especially when including cigarettes, has significant tax implications and could result in unintended consequences such as increased smuggling. In Massachusetts, more than 20 percent of cigarettes smoked are purchased out of state.
5 min readToday marked the release of second-quarter GDP data and provides a new glimpse into early changes in state and local revenues and spending. All told, second-quarter state and local tax receipts came in about 3.8 percent lower than they did in the same quarter a year ago. Income and sales taxes fell considerably while property and excise tax collections remained stable.
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