Rather than relying on damaging corporate tax hikes, policymakers should consider user fees and consumption taxes as options for financing new infrastructure to ensure that a compromise does not end up being a net negative for the U.S. economy.
2 min read
Traditionally, revenue dedicated to infrastructure spending has been raised through taxes on motor fuel, license fees, and tolls, but revenue from motor fuel has proven less effective over the last few decades.
4 min read
In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf (D) has proposed phasing out the gas tax as the main funding mechanism for the state’s highway fund, and he has established a commission to recommend options for replacing it with alternative revenue sources. In a statement, the governor called the current motor fuel tax burdensome, outdated, and unreliable.
5 min read
For the fourth year in a row, a comprehensive infrastructure funding reform bill has been introduced in Kentucky, with the centerpiece being a gas tax increase of 8.6 cents per gallon (cpg). Like many states, Kentucky faces a backlog of road maintenance and construction projects, and existing transportation taxes and user fees are failing to keep pace with funding needs.
4 min read
What can the U.S. do to raise the revenue needed for infrastructure upkeep and accurately internalize the costs associated with road usage?
A recent OECD report on 2020 tax reforms reveals an increase in the number of environmentally-related tax policies, including gas taxes, carbon taxes, and taxes on electricity consumption.
5 min read
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
California pumps out the highest tax rate of 62.47 cents per gallon, followed by Pennsylvania (58.7 cpg), Illinois (52.01 cpg), and Washington (49.4 cpg).
2 min read
Our analysis shows that the economic benefits of federal investment in productivity-enhancing infrastructure may be undercut by the negative effects of the financing of those investments, such as when the corporate income tax is increased.
6 min read
Learn about how taxes can influence human behavior through the power of incentives. See how different tax policies have impacted everything around us, including the buildings we live in, the cars we drive, and even what we eat and wear. Gain a deeper appreciation for the importance of designing tax policies that encourage positive economic behaviors.
Fewer people driving means fewer people buying gasoline, which may have positive effects on air pollution but could be detrimental to motor fuel excise tax revenue for federal and state governments.
4 min read
