Taxes

Although most states are on solid financial footing following the coronavirus crisis, pension liabilities are a deep-seated problem that long predates the pandemic. The most recent data from Truth in Accounting (which analyzes government accounting data from every state) shows the strain on state retirement systems in 2019 as pension funds strive to keep pace with the

Of the many tax policies modeled in our new Options for Reforming America’s Tax Code 2.0, repealing the tariffs imposed under President Trump’s administration would be one of the simplest ways policymakers could boost economic growth. Starting in 2018, the U.S. imposed tariffs on a variety of goods, including aluminum, solar panels, steel, and washers

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Key Findings There are two layers of tax on investment income. First, corporations pay the corporate income tax on their profits. Second, shareholders pay an income tax on the dividends they receive (dividends tax) and capital gains they realize (capital gains tax). On average, in the OECD, long-term capital gains from the sale of shares

Today, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) reintroduced the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE Act) to reform federal treatment of marijuana by descheduling it, meaning it no longer would be a prohibited substance. Not surprisingly, the bill includes an excise tax on all sales of marijuana products, which would take effect six months after the

Most countries provide tax relief to families with children—typically through targeted tax breaks that lower income taxes. While all European OECD countries provide tax relief for families, its extent varies substantially across countries. One way to measure targeted tax relief for families is to compare the tax burdens on labor of a family with one

Arizona legislators are considering tax changes as part of the fiscal year 2022 budget process that is underway. Companion omnibus taxation bills HB 2900 and SB 1828 would reduce individual income tax rates for all taxpayers, consolidate the state’s graduated-rate income tax brackets into what would effectively be a two-rate structure by 2023, and reduce

Thirteen states tax Social Security benefits, a matter of significant interest to retirees. Each of these states has its own approach to determining what share of benefits is subject to tax, though these provisions can be grouped together into a few broad categories. Today’s map illustrates these approaches. Thirty-seven states and D.C. either have no

Last Friday, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) signed House Bills 2960, 2962, and 2963 into law as part of a budget agreement, bringing the legislature’s tax plans across the finish line. These bills will reduce the state’s corporate and individual income tax rates beginning in tax year 2022. House Bill 2960 reduces the corporate income

Table of Contents Key Findings Twenty states and the District of Columbia tax some portion of Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI), although only 16 of those states have issued guidance on the matter more than three years after the federal law went into effect. States that have not yet issued guidance on their treatment of

If policymakers wanted companies to pay a minimum level of tax regardless of where they earn profits around the world, what would be the best way to achieve that? One idea that has been proposed by the Biden administration and other governments has been a global minimum tax calculated for each country where a business

With the Biden administration proposing a variety of new taxes, it is worth revisiting the literature on how taxes impact economic growth. In 2012, we published a review of the evidence, noting that most studies find negative impacts. However, many papers have been written since, some using more sophisticated empirical methods to identify a causal

Table of Contents Key Findings Average wage earners in the OECD have their take-home pay lowered by two major taxes: individual income and payroll (both employee and employer side). Value-added (VAT) and sales taxes also place a tax burden on take-home pay used for consumption. Before accounting for VAT and sales tax, the average tax

Property taxes are an important source of revenue for local and state governments. In fiscal year (FY) 2018 (the most recent year of data available), property taxes generated 31.1 percent of total U.S. state and local tax collections and 71.7 percent of local tax collections. Local governments rely heavily on property taxes to fund schools, roads, police departments, and

Talking about money with anyone can be awkward, but what about talking with your family? Those conversations hit much closer to home, making it even more difficult to talk with your loved ones about your financial situation. Why does it matter? Couldn’t you just avoid talking about your taxes with your family? Well, you could.

While much of the tax policy now under debate aims to increase the tax burden on businesses, several policies in the newly released Republican Study Committee (RSC) budget for Fiscal Year 2022 focus on reducing the tax code’s barriers to investment and saving. The RSC budget contains many possible tax reforms, but two proposals in

You paid taxes throughout your entire working life, whether you were worked a full-time job with a company or you were self-employed. Now that you’re retired, the kinds of taxes you’ll be paying are going to change. If you’re getting ready to retire, here are the taxes you may have to pay. Income Taxes When

Many countries’ personal income tax systems tax various sources of individual income—including investment income such as dividends and capital gains. Today’s map shows how dividend income is taxed across European OECD countries. A dividend is a payment made to a corporation’s shareholders from corporate after-tax profits. In most countries, such dividend payments are subject to

Every year, you learn something new when you file your taxes. Hopefully, every time you figure out how to do it more efficiently. Maybe you discover a new way to file that takes less time. Perhaps you maximize your tax refund or determine ways in which you will owe less the next time around. Whether

The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) recently released data on taxes paid at various levels of income, indicating the federal tax system is progressive, consistent with similar analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The JCT found that the bottom 50 percent of taxpayers faced an