Does Your State Have a Marriage Penalty?
A marriage penalty exists when a state’s income brackets for married taxpayers filing jointly are less than double the bracket widths that apply to single filers.
2 min read
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Tax Treaty Network of European Countries
Tax treaties usually provide mechanisms to eliminate double taxation and can provide certainty and stability for taxpayers and encourage foreign investment and trade. A broad network of tax treaties contributes to the competitiveness of an economy.
1 min read
Estate and Inheritance Taxes by State, 2020
In addition to the federal estate tax, with a top rate of 40 percent, some states levy an additional estate or inheritance tax.
3 min read
Proposals to Lure Foreigners to Greece Highlight Need to Reform Property Taxes
A more efficient property tax system in Greece is a better objective than just focusing on incentives for foreigners to change their tax residence.
4 min read
Biden’s Proposal Would Shift the Distribution of Retirement Tax Benefits
One of Biden’s tax proposals that has gotten little attention is a change that would shift the benefits of tax deferral in traditional retirement accounts toward lower- and middle-income earners. The plan would reduce the tax benefit for those earning above $80,250 but under $400,000, violating Biden’s tax pledge to not raise taxes on earners below the $400,000 threshold.
5 min read
How High Are Property Taxes in Your State?
New Jersey has the highest effective rate on owner-occupied property at 2.21 percent, followed closely by Illinois (2.05 percent) and New Hampshire (2.03 percent).
2 min read
President Trump Outlines Second Term Tax Ideas
Broad themes of the president’s agenda include providing tax relief to individuals and tax credits to businesses that engage in desired activities, while the status of expiring TCJA provisions and tariffs seems uncertain.
4 min read
Who Will Pay for the Roads?
The 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 read
Reviewing Joe Biden’s Tax Vision
Biden’s tax vision is twofold: higher taxes on high-income earners and businesses paired with more generous provisions for specific activities and households.
4 min read
How the CARES Act Fixed a Tax Bias Against Green Investment
One 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 read
Property Taxes by County, 2020
The five counties with the highest median property tax payments are all located near New York City and have bills exceeding $10,000.
3 min read
Contrary to Popular Belief, Value-Added Taxes Found to Be Slightly Progressive
Value-added taxes (VAT) are traditionally considered regressive, meaning they place a disproportionate burden on low-income taxpayers. However, a recent OECD study used household expenditures micro-data from 27 OECD countries to reassess this conclusion.
5 min read
Nebraska’s Property Tax Compromise Provides Temporary Relief, but Structural Reform Is Still Needed
Tax credits like the ones approved in the Nebraska bill may help legislators buy some time to work toward a more permanent solution, but they are not, in and of themselves, an effective means of providing lasting relief or generating long-term economic growth.
7 min read
Teleworking Employees Face Double Taxation Due to Aggressive “Convenience Rule” Policies in Seven States
States can tax your income where you live and where you work—but a growing number of states may also seek to tax your income even if you neither live nor work there, an aggressive posture that becomes increasingly consequential as more Americans work remotely both during and potentially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
15 min read
Where Does Kamala Harris Stand on Tax Policy?
What tax policy ideas did Harris propose along the campaign trail, and how do they differ from Biden’s plan?
4 min read
Real Value of $100 by Metropolitan Area, 2020
California is home to 7 of the 10 most expensive metro areas in America. See what’s the real value of $100 in your metro area with our new purchasing power map.
4 min read
Where Should the Money Come From?
The fiscal response to the COVID-19 pandemic will require policymakers to consider what revenue resources should be used to fill budget gaps. Tax policy experts have proposed wealth taxes, (global) corporate minimum taxes, excess profits taxes, and digital taxes as opportunities for governments to raise new revenues.
20 min read
An Overview of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)
The LIHTC has subsidized over 3 million housing units since it was established in 1986, the largest source of affordable housing financing.
24 min read
Does Your State Tax Social Security Benefits?
The question, “Does my state tax Social Security benefits?” may be simple enough, but the answer includes a lot of nuance. Many states have unique and specific provisions regarding the taxation of Social Security benefits, which can be broken into a few broad categories.
3 min read