TaxVox

The voices of Tax Policy Center's researchers and staff

Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

Tax Exemption, Free Speech and a Bold Campaign Promise

July 6, 2016 –
My daughter just finished the fifth grade, and loved learning about the American Revolution. Over the July 4th holiday she explained why the colonists wanted independence: “People didn’t want to have to pay taxes without having a say in their government.” I asked her if the opposite were ever true: Should organizations that enjoy tax-free status, such as churches, lose their political voice?
State and Local Issues

A Lifeline for Puerto Rico

July 5, 2016 –
Last week, the Senate passed and President Obama signed into law the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act ( PROMESA ). The law...
State and Local Issues

Many States Made Tough Choices in Their 2016 Budgets, Some Are Still Struggling

June 30, 2016 –
The fiscal year wraps up today in most states and, unlike some past years, most have enacted budgets on time. Modest economic growth has led...
Business Taxes

Exxon, Yes Exxon, Backs a Carbon Tax

June 30, 2016 –
The Wall Street Journal reported this morning (paywall) that Exxon, the world’s largest producer of fossil fuels, is actively lobbying for a carbon tax. Yes,...
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

The Striking Contrast Between the Trump and House Republican Tax Plans

June 28, 2016 –
I’ve never seen anything quite like it: A presumptive presidential candidate proposes a major policy initiative and a month before he is due to be...
State and Local Issues

The only fix for Washington Metro’s funding problems: regional cooperation

June 27, 2016 –
The Washington region’s beleaguered metropolitan rail system, known locally as Metro, has a safety and management problem. It is so bad that Metro was...
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

Ryan’s Deceptively Simple Promise of Postcard Tax Filing

June 27, 2016 –
Paul Ryan and the House Republicans rolled out a new tax plan last week that promises to lower rates, eliminate tax preferences, and simplify the federal tax system. One attractive promise: “Simple, Fair ‘Postcard’ Tax Filing” that would cut your income tax return down to just 14 lines.
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

Ryan Proposes Big Tax Cuts for Business and Investors, Moves Towards a Cash Flow Tax

June 23, 2016 –
House Republicans Propose Big Tax Cuts for Business and Investors, Move Towards a Cash Flow Tax House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) unveiled his long-promised rewrite...
Federal Budget and Economy

A Universal Basic Income? Right Debate, Wrong Answer

June 21, 2016 –
Recently, advocates have revived and extended an old idea: that government should give everyone, regardless of their economic circumstances, a universal basic income (UBI). For...
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

Trump’s Tax and Spending Plan Could Sharply Raise Interest Rates

June 21, 2016 –
Donald Trump’s tax and spending plan would nearly triple interest rates and increase the federal government’s debt by $14 trillion by 2026, according to an...