Summary of the Latest Federal Income Tax Data, 2023 Update
The latest IRS data shows that the U.S. federal individual income tax continued to be progressive, borne primarily by the highest income earners.
43 min read
Featured Articles
What’s Missing from the Tax Burden Debate
When we discuss tax policy, the conversation inevitably turns to who pays, who should pay, and how much they should pay. Unfortunately, the tax burdens debate is often missing a key point: how income transfer programs—like Social Security or Medicaid—affect households’ tax burdens.
State and Local Tax Burdens, Calendar Year 2022
Tax burdens rose across the country as pandemic-era economic changes caused taxable income, activities, and property values to rise faster than net national product. Tax burdens in 2020, 2021, and 2022 are all higher than in any other year since 1978.
24 min readAll Related Articles
Considering Tax Reform Options for 2025 (and Beyond)
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
Biden’s Budget Blueprint
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?
Caitlin Clark Pays Income Taxes on NIL. It’s Time to Tax the NCAA, too.
If student athletes are taxed on their earnings, it’s time the NCAA should be taxed on theirs.
Summary of the Latest Federal Income Tax Data, 2024 Update
The 2021 tax year was the fourth since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) made many significant, but temporary, changes to the individual income tax code to lower tax rates, widen brackets, increase the standard deduction and child tax credit, and more.
9 min read
Taxes and Migration: New Evidence from Academic Research
Do taxes affect individuals’ decisions regarding where to live and work? Can high taxes cause the outmigration of wealthy individuals?
5 min read
Tax Calculator: How the TCJA’s Expiration Will Affect You
Unless Congress acts, Americans are in for a tax hike in 2026.
3 min read
Vermont Lawmakers Consider Harmful Taxes on the Wealthy
Vermont lawmakers are considering the adoption of two new taxes on high earners, which proponents have branded “wealth taxes.”
4 min read
Sustainably Reforming Social Security and Medicare Will Need More than Just Tax Hikes
Creative options including changes in Social Security benefits growth for higher earners and reforms to how Medicare compensates for health services should be on the table, along with broad-based and well-structured tax reforms.
6 min read
Wealth Taxes in Europe, 2024
Only three European countries levy a net wealth tax—Norway, Spain, and Switzerland. France and Italy levy wealth taxes on selected assets.
4 min read
State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2024
Individual income taxes are a major source of state government revenue, accounting for more than a third of state tax collections. How do income taxes compare in your state?
8 min read
New CBO Report Shows Pandemic Response Sharply Reduced Inequality, Increased Progressivity in 2020
The pandemic led to one of the largest fiscal responses in U.S. history, impacting households across the income distribution.
4 min read
Top Personal Income Tax Rates in Europe, 2024
Denmark (55.9 percent), France (55.4 percent), and Austria (55 percent) have the highest top statutory personal income tax rates among European OECD countries.
3 min read
Latest SALT Deduction Cap Proposal Increases Budget Deficit, Creates New Tax Cliffs, and is Regressive
From a revenue standpoint, about $9 billion of the $11.7 billion in lost revenue would accrue to joint filers earning more than $200,000.
5 min read
SALT Caucus House Members from States like California and Connecticut Are Missing the Point–And Could End Up Raising Taxes for Everyone Next Year
In a rare change of pace, tax legislation passed out of the Ways and Means Committee last week with overwhelming, bipartisan support. In a more common turn of events, it may not get much further thanks to a small group of passionate, but misled lawmakers known as the “SALT Caucus.”
State Tax Changes Taking Effect January 1, 2024
Thirty-four states will ring in the new year with notable tax changes, including 15 states cutting individual or corporate income taxes (and some cutting both).
17 min read
Tax Reform Is Key to Ukraine’s Economic Health, Now and after the War
What historical lessons of wartime finance can Ukrainian and EU policymakers learn to put Ukraine’s economy on a path to success during, and especially after, the war?
5 min read
Policymakers Must Weigh the Revenue, Distributional, and Economic Trade-Offs of SALT Deduction Cap Design Options
The fate of the $10,000 cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions remains uncertain, with some policymakers pushing for an increase or repeal of the cap before its scheduled expiration in 2026.
6 min read
State and Local Tax Collections by State, 2023
Contrary to initial expectations, the pandemic years were good for state and local tax collections, and while the surges of 2021 and 2022 have not continued into calendar year 2023, revenues remain robust in most states and well above pre-pandemic levels even after accounting for inflation.
5 min read
Movers and Shakers in the International Tax Competitiveness Index
The 2023 version of the International Tax Competitiveness Index is the 10th edition of the report. Let’s take a look back and see how country ranks have changed over time.
5 min read
Testimony: The Costs and Complexity of the Federal Tax Code Demand Reform
Lawmakers should simplify the tax code so that taxpayers can understand the laws and the IRS can administer them with minimum cost and frustration.