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2024 State Business Tax Climate Index
In recognition of the fact that there are better and worse ways to raise revenue, our Index focuses on how state tax revenue is raised, not how much. The rankings, therefore, reflect how well states structure their tax systems.
111 min read
International Tax Competitiveness Index 2023
While there are many factors that affect a country’s economic performance, taxes play an important role. A well-structured tax code is easy for taxpayers to comply with and can promote economic development while raising sufficient revenue for a government’s priorities.
88 min read
How Taxing Consumption Would Improve Long-Term Opportunity and Well-Being for Families and Children
Income taxes impose steeper economic costs, and often steeper administrative and compliance costs, than consumption taxes. Moving to a consumption tax would end the tax bias against saving and investment and provide an opportunity to greatly simplify anti-poverty programs embedded in the tax code.
45 min read
The Future of Arkansas Tax Reform: Next Steps on the Road Map to Competitiveness
Responsible pro-growth reforms to Arkansas’s tax code can help ensure that the Natural State is indeed a Land of Opportunity.
9 min read
California Is Trying to Redefine “Tax Rebates” in a Threat to Public-Private Partnerships
Recharacterizing a rather simple repayment transaction as a tax rebate is concerning, not just for sound tax policy, but also for the future of public-private financing partnerships.
4 min read
Gas Tax Rates by State, 2023
California pumps out the highest state gas tax rate of 77.9 cents per gallon (cpg), followed by Illinois (66.5 cpg) and Pennsylvania (62.2 cpg).
2 min read
Should Massachusetts Tax Netflix?
A bill introduced in the Massachusetts House, (H. 74) would expand funding for community media programming by imposing a new tax on the gross revenues of digital streaming service providers. The sentiment is understandable, but the proposed solution leaves much to be desired.
6 min read
Blog
Short FormIn Her Tax Era—The Tax Impact of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour highlights that taxes impact everyone, artists and fans alike.
3 min read
Sales Tax Holidays by State, 2023
However well-intended they may be, sales tax holidays remain the same as they always have been—ineffective and inefficient.
4 min read
Blog
Short FormLet Mattel You about Barbie’s Taxes
In Greta Gerwig’s new Barbie movie, Barbie’s venture outside of Barbieland introduces her to new experiences. But what about Barbie and taxes?
3 min read
State and Local Sales Tax Rates, Midyear 2023
Compare the latest 2023 sales tax rates as of July 1st. Sales tax rate differentials can induce consumers to shop across borders or buy products online.
8 min read
State Tax Changes Taking Effect July 1, 2023
At least 32 notable tax policy changes recently took effect across 18 states, including alterations to income taxes, payroll taxes, sales and use taxes, property taxes, and excise taxes. See if your state tax code changed.
16 min read
Beer Taxes by State, 2023
Taxes are the single most expensive ingredient in beer, costing more than the labor and raw materials combined.
3 min read
The Wayfair Sales Tax Ruling, Five Years Later
It’s the 5th anniversary of the groundbreaking Wayfair Supreme Court decision–a ruling that marked a new era of sales tax collection and changed how we think about taxation in the digital age.
North Carolina’s Budget Should Prioritize Pro-Growth Structural Reforms
As fiscal year 2023 draws to a close, North Carolina’s House and Senate have each passed their own versions of the biennial budget for fiscal years 2024-25. While legislative leaders have generally agreed to overall spending levels, negotiations remain ongoing to resolve different approaches to tax policy.
7 min read
Ranking Sales Taxes on the 2023 State Business Tax Climate Index
An ideal sales tax applies to a broad base of final consumer goods and services, with few exemptions, and is levied at a low rate.
5 min read
The FairTax?
The FairTax, on paper, sounds simple. But when you pull back the curtains, this proposal leads to more questions than answers.
Do Consumption Taxes Do a Better Job of Taxing Criminals?
One of the arguments in favor of the FairTax is that it would do a better job of taxing the underground economy than the income tax it is intended to replace.
6 min read