A German Export for Times of Crises: The Short-Time Work Scheme
One of the most talked about government economic responses to the COVID-19 crisis is Germany’s Kurzarbeit: the German short-work subsidy scheme.
3 min read
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State Aid Provisions of the Federal Coronavirus Response Bill
To be eligible for federal funding, state expenditures must meet certain conditions. We break down the state aid coronavirus provisions in the latest federal bill.
5 min read
Tracking Economic Relief Plans Around the World during the Coronavirus Outbreak
Countries around the world are implementing emergency tax measures to support their economies under the coronavirus (COVID-19) threat.
51 min read
Norway Opens the Fiscal Toolbox
Norway passed a large coronavirus tax relief package to address layoffs and bankruptcies, which includes a reduced VAT rate, the introduction of a loss carryback provision, and targeted postponements for wealth tax payments, among other provisions.
5 min read
Review and Analysis of House Democrats Coronavirus Response Bill
The proposed Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act can be contrasted with the Senate Republican CARES Act, although they share some similarities by providing individual taxpayers with a rebate and modifying business tax provisions to provide liquidity for struggling firms.
5 min read
What Should Coronavirus Response Legislation Look Like?
As lawmakers debate how to respond to the coronavirus crisis, they should focus the legislative response to the emergency at hand, using principled policy solutions to provide relief to those affected. Attempts to use the crisis to make other, unrelated policy changes should be avoided.
3 min read
Overview of Previous Tax Rebates During Economic Downturns
The timing from enactment to distribution has varied from about one and a half months to more than two months, indicating that it has historically taken a significant amount of time for individual taxpayers to receive their rebates after the policies have been put in place.
4 min read
Are States Prepared for Skyrocketing Unemployment Insurance Claims?
Unemployment claims are going to tax state unemployment compensation trust funds beyond their limits. We need to start thinking about what to do about it.
5 min read
States Should Follow Federal Lead in Postponing Tax Day
The federal government moved tax day from April 15 to July 15 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, granting more time for both filing and payment. But for many taxpayers, it might not matter much if states don’t follow suit.
3 min read
Lawmakers Concerned that Delay in Tax Filing Deadline Not Fully Understood
The U.S. Treasury Department has pushed the April 15 tax payment deadline to July 15. However, taxpayers still have to file their tax returns by the usual April 15 deadline.
3 min read
Tax Policy and Economic Downturns
The Great Recession provides some insight into how tax revenues declined during a deep recession. Across OECD countries, revenues fell by 11 percent from 2008 to 2009 with corporate income taxes seeing the steepest decline at 28 percent. Revenues from individual income taxes fell by 16 percent.
4 min read
Senate Receives Final Version of House Coronavirus Bill Offering Paid Leave
The House bill would provide two weeks of paid sick leave to workers who must quarantine, take care of a family member who is sick with coronavirus, or care for their children whose school or daycare has closed due to the public health emergency.
2 min read
Taxes and Liquidity During an Economic Crisis
Taxes present one policy tool available to ease the impending liquidity crunch brought on by the coronavirus crisis, which policymakers are already pursuing by postponing the tax payment deadline and waiving interest and penalties.
3 min read
Income Taxes Are More Volatile Than Sales Taxes During an Economic Contraction
In the short term, states must anticipate reduced tax collections as the economy slows. And here, not all taxes are created equal. As a general rule, income taxes are more volatile than consumption taxes.
4 min read
House of Representatives Bill Would Expand Paid Sick, Family, and Medical Leave to Address the Coronavirus Crisis
The bill, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, would expand federal medical leave, create an emergency paid sick leave requirement, and provide tax credits against employer-side payroll taxes to help offset the cost of these two programs, among other provisions.
3 min read
Analysis of Democratic Presidential Candidate Individual Income Tax Proposals
Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders have each proposed changes to the individual income tax, one of the largest sources of federal revenue. Our new analysis compares the economic, revenue, and distributional effects of the various proposals.
13 min read