Individual Income and Payroll Taxes

Flat Tax

The Aftermath of Arizona’s Proposition 208 and the Potential for a Flat Tax

Arizona now joins a growing cohort of states that are moving toward a flat income tax. Pending revenue triggers, the income tax rate will be reduced to 2.5 percent giving Arizona one of the lowest individual income tax rates in the country.

States’ Taxes Go Flat

In more than 100 years of state income taxes, only four states have ever moved from a graduated-rate income tax to a flat tax. Another four may adopt flat tax legislation just this year. We discuss what flat taxes are, what they mean for taxpayers, and why so many states are making a push for them this year.

Tax Filing Season: Options for Improvement

Efforts to improve the taxpayer experience should focus on the IRS’s operations and include structural improvements to the tax code.

The Three Basic Tax Types

The better you understand taxes, the better equipped you are to make decisions about them. All taxes can be divided into three basic types: taxes on what you buy, taxes on what you earn, and taxes on what you own.

Missouri Tax Reform Could Give State Competitive Edge

Tax reform has become a major focus for state legislatures this session, and Missouri lawmakers are tuned in to the action: after adjusting individual income tax triggers in 2021, the legislature is exploring further tax reform options.

Chaotic IRS Filing Season Shows the Perils of Running Social Policy Through the Tax Code

As the deadline for tax filing nears, the IRS faces scrutiny for its backlog of returns, inaccessible taxpayer service, and delays in issuing certain refunds.

History of Taxes

Learn where and when taxes originated and how they resemble taxes we have today. Understand how the American tax code developed from the beginning of the colonies. Learn about some of the weirder taxes throughout history, designed not just to raise revenue, but influence behavior too.

Lesson Plan: The Three Basic Tax Types

What are the three basic tax types in the American Tax Code? In this lesson plan, students will learn about taxes on what you earn, taxes on what you buy, and taxes on what you own. Learn how do these taxes fit together, how they impact government revenues and the economy, and where you may encounter them in your daily life.

Federal Corporate Tax Revenue and All Federal Tax Collections Headed for Another Record High

Total tax collections are currently running 25 percent higher than last year, and if that pattern holds, total federal tax collections will reach over $5 trillion in FY 2022—a new all-time high.

Personal Income Tax Adjusts for Inflation, But It Could Do Better

In times of inflation, a review of the tax code shows that some provisions are automatically indexed, or adjusted, to match inflation, while others are not. And that creates unfair burdens for taxpayers. But it’s not always as simple as just “adjusting for inflation.”

Georgia Makes Strides Toward Tax Competitiveness

Lawmakers can be proud of the steps that they have taken toward a better tax code but should consider revisiting the design of the bill’s tax triggers in order to better accomplish their goal of responsible improvement.

President Biden’s 61 Percent Tax on Wealth

As part of President Biden’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023, the White House has once again endorsed a major tax increase on accumulated wealth, adding up to a 61 percent tax on wealth of high-earning taxpayers.

Can Taxes Predict the UEFA Champions League Winner?

Before competing in the UEFA Champions League, football clubs in Europe also compete to lure the best players.

Kentucky Legislature Sends Pro-Growth Tax Changes to Governor

Kentucky is making commendable progress toward a more modern and competitive tax code, but more work on comprehensive tax reform should be prioritized next session.

Biden Budget Would Raise Income Tax Rates to Highest in Developed World

The FY 2023 budget proposes several new tax increases, which in combination with the Build Back Better Act, would give the U.S. the highest top tax rates on individual and corporate income in the developed world.

Biden’s Budget Battle

In a letter to lawmakers, the 46th President said that his $5.8 trillion budget package would “[grow] our economy, while ensuring that the wealthiest Americans and the biggest corporations begin to pay their fair share.” We break down what the President is proposing for this upcoming fiscal year and what its impact would be on the U.S. economy in the face of record-high inflation.

Sustainable Tax Reform a Win for Mississippians

Mississippi policymakers delivered the largest tax cut in state history, providing meaningful relief for taxpayers by cutting individual income tax rates.

State Legislatures Take Up Tax Reform and Relief in 2022

After a whirlwind of cuts and reforms in 2021, it looks like 2022 might be an even bigger year for state tax codes. Republican and Democratic governors alike used their annual State of the State addresses to call for tax reform, and there is already serious momentum from state lawmakers nationwide to get the job done.

Facts & Figures 2022: How Does Your State Compare?

Facts & Figures serves as a one-stop state tax data resource that compares all 50 states on over 40 measures of tax rates, collections, burdens, and more.