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Individual Income and Payroll Taxes

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Social Security Reform Options

Social Security: Lessons for Reform

Social Security is by far the largest federal government spending program. The latest trustees report shows the program is on a fiscally unsustainable path that will exacerbate the US debt crisis if its imbalances are not addressed in the near term.

33 min read
2024 state and local tax ballot measures details analysis and tax ballot measure results

State Tax Ballot Measures to Watch in 2024

Taxes are on the ballot this November—not just in the sense that candidates at all levels are offering their visions for tax policy, but also in the literal sense that voters in some states will get to decide important questions about how their states raise revenue.

8 min read
Donald Trump tax plan 2024

Donald Trump Tax Plan Ideas: Details & Analysis

Our estimates illustrate that Trump’s proposed tariffs threaten to offset the economic benefits of his proposed tax policy changes, while falling short of offsetting the tax revenue losses.

7 min read
Kamala Harris Tax Plan and Proposals 2024 Analysis

Kamala Harris Tax Plan Ideas: Details and Analysis

On tax policy, Harris carries forward much of President Biden’s FY 2025 budget, including higher taxes aimed at businesses and high earners. She would also further expand the child tax credit (CTC) and various other tax credits and incentives while exempting tips from income tax.  

16 min read
Kamala Harris unrealized capital gains tax proposal billionaire minimum tax

Analysis of Harris’s Billionaire Minimum Tax on Unrealized Capital Gains

In her campaign for president, VP Kamala Harris has embraced all the tax increases President Biden proposed in the White House FY 2025 budget—including a new idea that would require taxpayers with net wealth above $100 million to pay a minimum tax on their unrealized capital gains from assets such as stocks, bonds, or privately held companies.

5 min read
World War II or WWII US taxation

How World War II Reshaped US Taxation

World War II shaped many aspects of the modern world, including the US tax code. But the dramatic changes to our system that military mobilization required didn’t subside when the fighting finished; they’ve persisted to today.

4 min read
Taxes and interstate migration data from IRS and Census state migration trends show Americans moving to low-tax states 2024 interstate migration by state

Taxes and Interstate Migration: 2024 Update

The latest IRS and Census data show that people and businesses favor states with low and structurally sound tax systems, which can impact the state’s economic growth and governmental coffers.

8 min read
American retirement savings accounts including 401k and IRA contribution and withdrawals

American Retirement and Tax-Preferred Savings Accounts, Tax Year 2018

To encourage greater saving, the US federal income tax provides tax-neutral treatment to some types of saving through a variety of accounts. The type of tax treatment, contribution limits, withdrawal rules, and use cases for contributions all vary by account, leading to a complicated system for households to navigate.

11 min read
Tax reform to bolster American savings Universal Savings Accounts

How Tax Reform Can Bolster Americans’ Shrinking Savings

With pandemic-era savings now fully depleted and the majority of Americans pointing to their finances as their biggest source of stress, one thing is clear: the US needs policies that help people save more.

4 min read
TCJA compliance and TCJA complexity costs did the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act simplify the US tax code?

How Did the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Simplify the Tax Code?

Not every change in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act simplified the tax code. However, the TCJA reduced compliance costs overall for individual filers, and allowing fundamental structural improvements to expire would make the tax code worse.

5 min read