TaxVox

The voices of Tax Policy Center's researchers and staff

Individual Taxes

"Let Me Tell You About The Very Rich. They Are Different From You And Me.”

March 18, 2019 –
F. Scott Fitzgerald wasn’t talking about the way they make their money, or the taxes they pay, but he could have been. According to a...

To Help Close The Tax Gap The IRS Should Focus On Small Business Compliance, Not EITC Claimants

March 14, 2019 –
Although overall IRS audit rates are remarkably low (less than one percent), returns claiming an EITC are twice as likely to be audited as those...

Did the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Pay for Itself in 2018?

March 13, 2019 –
Were you surprised that the 2017 tax overhaul, commonly referred as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), did not increase revenues in 2018? Probably...
Federal Budget and Economy

A Tale Of Two Economies: Comparing Trump’s Economic Forecast With CBO’s

March 13, 2019 –
A Tale Of Two Economies: Comparing Trump’s Economic Forecast With CBO’s President Trump’s 2020 budget is based upon an extremely optimistic view of the nation’s...
Individual Taxes

Is The US Ready For A Gas Tax Increase?

March 12, 2019 –
Is The US Ready For A Gas Tax Increase? House Democrats are talking enthusiastically about passing a big infrastructure bill by summer. President Trump keeps...
State and Local Issues

State Revenue Picture in Post-TCJA Era: Joy, Sorrow, and Uncertainty

March 12, 2019 –
The Tax Policy Center’s State and Local Finance Initiative’s quarterly “ State Tax and Economic Review ” shows solid revenue growth in the third quarter...

Carolyn Tavenner Has Left the Building: The IRS And Taxpayers Are Worse Off For It

March 8, 2019 –
A few weeks back, my colleague Renu Zaretsky wrote about the IRS’s brain drain. As many experienced employees retire or prepare to do so, the...

House Democrats May Soon Ask For Trump’s Tax Returns But What Should They Request?

March 7, 2019 –
House Ways & Means Committee Chair Richard Neal (D-MA) reportedly is about to make a formal request for 10 years of President Trump’s tax returns...
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

"Tell me what you want, what you really, really want..."

March 6, 2019 –
I asked some parents to make a choice. Their response was perhaps not what Warren hoped for, given her proposed Universal Child Care and Early Learning Act.
Federal Budget and Economy

What 2018’s Economic Data Tell Us About The TCJA

March 4, 2019 –
We now have a full year of data about the state of the US economy since President Trump signed the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs...