Tax Policy Center

How Did the Gas Tax Lose Its Mojo, Even Among Conservatives?

With just a few days left before federal funding for highway programs expires, the Senate is debating all sorts of amendments to an extension-- from export subsidies to the Affordable Care Act. But there is one subject it will not debate—the gas tax. Except for a handful of lawmakers, nobody in

July 27, 2015Howard Gleckman

Federal Budget and Economy: TaxVox

Who Benefits Most From Repealing the ACA Cadillac Tax?

Republicans and some Democrats in Congress are pressing to repeal the Affordable Care Act’s Cadillac tax—a 40 percent excise tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health insurance plans. Backers of repeal argue that curbs on these generous plans would disproportionately hurt low- and middle-income

July 23, 2015Howard Gleckman

Individual Taxes: TaxVox

Who Benefits the Most from an Across-the-Board Cut in Individual Tax Rates?

Just about every tax reform plan calls for cutting individual tax rates. But it turns out that a one percentage point across-the-board rate cut would benefit only about six out of 10 households. The biggest beneficiaries: those with the highest incomes. According to a new Tax Policy Center analysis

July 2, 2015Howard Gleckman

Individual Taxes: TaxVox

Rand Paul’s Tax Cut Isn't Quite What It Seems

Unlike those GOP presidential hopefuls who say their tax reforms would raise the same amount of money as the current tax code, even when their actual proposals would not, Senator Rand Paul isn’t being shy. He’s promising a great big fat tax cut (described in this Wall Street Journal column). And

June 17, 2015Howard Gleckman

Individual Taxes: TaxVox

How Many Americans Get Government Assistance? All of Us

The other day, the Census Bureau put out a new report that concluded about one-in-five Americans received government benefits in 2012. But the study, called Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Participation in Government Programs, 2009–2012: Who Gets Assistance, takes a far too narrow view about who

June 4, 2015Howard Gleckman

Business Taxes: TaxVox

What’s Up With the No Climate Tax Pledge?

Do you know about the No Climate Tax pledge ? I didn’t until I read a column over the weekend by the Washington Post ’s always-interesting Catherine Rampell. The vow is sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, a conservative political advocacy group closely associated with the Koch brothers. And it

June 2, 2015Howard Gleckman

Business Taxes: TaxVox

The Perpetual, Immortal, Eternal, Never-Ending Tax Extenders

The magic number for today is 16. That is, remarkably, the number of times Congress has extended the allegedly temporary research and experimentation tax credit since it was first enacted in 1981. The question for philosophy class (this is far beyond economics) is this: Can something that has been

May 28, 2015Howard Gleckman

Individual Taxes: TaxVox

Marco Rubio Wasn't the Only One Who Cashed Out an IRA Last Year

It is easy to mock Senator Marco Rubio, who cashed out $68,241 in IRA retirement funds last September. The GOP presidential hopeful, who made about $230,000 last year, told Fox News he needed the dough to prepare for his campaign, buy a new $3,000 refrigerator, and fix his busted a/c. As it happens

May 26, 2015Howard Gleckman

Individual Taxes: TaxVox

The Scary New World of Tax Fraud

Back in the day—say 2011--tax fraud was pretty straightforward. Taxpayers deliberately understated income or overstated deductions to cheat the system for their own benefit. Not anymore. Now, a growing share of such fraud is about crooks using the identities of innocent taxpayers to steal money. If

May 14, 2015Howard Gleckman

Individual Taxes: TaxVox

ACA Tax Filing Was Surprisingly Painless, But Not For All

It turns out that the first year of tax filing for people who have Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies was a lot easier than the first year of enrolling in the online exchanges. In contrast to the ACA’s maiden open enrollment season, the initial process of settling up incorrect subsidies

April 29, 2015Howard Gleckman