Retail Delivery Fees Are Not the Panacea for States’ Transport Budget Woes
Retail delivery fees are an inefficient and ineffective way to close budget gaps, and lawmakers should consider other, more sound, policy options.
5 min read
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State Tax Changes Taking Effect July 1, 2024
Summer has arrived and states are beginning to implement policy changes that were enacted during the legislative session (or are being phased in over time).
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Tax Neutrality: Balancing Priorities
Neutral tax codes don’t play favorites or try to influence personal or business decisions but stick to what they’re best at – raising sufficient revenue through low rates and a broad base.
Local Income vs. Sales Taxes: Which Is the Better Source of Local Revenue?
To stay competitive in an increasingly mobile post-pandemic world, states and localities must learn from the tax policy successes and failures of their neighbors and communities across the nation.
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A Comparison of the Tax Burden on Labor in the OECD, 2024
Governments often justify higher tax burdens with more extensive public services. However, the cost of these services can be more than half of an average worker’s salary.
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Kansas Lawmakers Should Prioritize Pro-Growth, Structurally Sound Tax Reforms in Special Session
With a robust surplus and plenty saved for a rainy day, Kansas can afford substantial tax relief, but not all tax relief is created equal.
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Georgia Implements Structurally Sound Tax Changes
Two bills in Georgia will lower the flat individual income tax rate and align the corporate income tax rate with the individual income tax rate.
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Nonresident Income Tax Filing Laws by State, 2024
One relatively easy but meaningful step policymakers can take to make future tax seasons less burdensome is to modernize their state’s nonresident income tax filing, withholding, and reciprocity laws.
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Facts & Figures 2024: 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.
2 min read
Can States Afford Their Recent Tax Cuts?
With state tax revenues receding from all-time highs, there’s been a great deal of handwringing about whether states can afford the tax cuts adopted over the past few years. Given that 27 states reduced the rate of a major tax between 2021 and 2023, is there reason for concern?
4 min read
Sources of US Tax Revenue by Tax Type, 2024
Different taxes have different economic effects, so policymakers should always consider how tax revenue is raised and not just how much is raised.
3 min read
Economic Nexus Treatment by State, 2024
Reforming economic nexus thresholds would not only be better for businesses but for states as well. It is more cost-effective for states to focus on—and simplify—compliance for a reasonable number of sellers than to impose rules that have low compliance and are costly to administer.
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Sources of Government Revenue in the OECD, 2024
Designing tax policy in a way that sustainably finances government activities while minimizing distortions is important for supporting a productive economy.
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Evaluating the Proposed Tax Changes in Illinois Governor’s FY 2025 Budget
In his FY 2025 budget, Illinois Gov. Pritzker outlined a number of proposed tax changes, including to individual and corporate income taxes, state sales taxes, and sports betting excise taxes.
7 min read
Virginia Considers Expanding Its Sales Tax Base to B2B Digital Services
Expanding Virginia’s sales tax base to include B2B digital transactions could lead to tax pyramiding, hide the true cost of government, and make the sales tax system much less neutral and transparent.
5 min read
Costly Inputs: Unraveling Sales Tax’s Impact on Businesses
Sales taxes go beyond a few extra bucks at the register. It’s not just about what you pay, but who pays. What are the implications of state sales tax bases across the U.S.?
Proposed “Junk Fee” Rule Would Create Inadvertent Tax Headaches
One particular provision of the Biden administration’s proposal to ban so-called “junk fees” would have unintended consequences.
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State and Local Sales Tax Rates, 2024
Retail sales taxes are an essential part of most states’ revenue toolkits, responsible for 32 percent of state tax collections and 13 percent of local tax collections (24 percent of combined collections).
9 min read
A Lower, Flat Income Tax Would Promote Long-Term Economic Growth in Kansas
After years of strong revenue growth, Kansas has substantial cash reserves on hand, and policymakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed a desire to return some of the extra revenue to taxpayers.
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Kentucky Sales Tax Modernization: Keeping the Sales Tax on Sales, Not Production
As policymakers continue efforts to improve Kentucky’s tax structure and competitiveness, they should keep in mind that not all offsets are created equal.
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