TaxVox: State and local budgets

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The voices of Tax Policy Center's researchers and staff

Fiscal 2019 Was A Strong Revenue Year For Most States But 2020 May Be Less Robust

October 14, 2019 –
State revenue growth was strong in fiscal year 2019 (July-June for 46 of the 50 states), but not as robust as in 2018. And temporary...

States Must Be Aware Of How Big Changes In Federal Law Affect Their Revenue Codes

August 19, 2019 –
All states with an income tax link to the federal tax system to some degree. This system of federal-state conformity helps taxpayers by standardizing the...
State and Local Issues

The Federal Government Can Help Baltimore And Other Cities in Trouble, But It Takes More Than Money

August 13, 2019 –
The recent feud between President Trump and Representative Elijah Cummings (D-MD) over conditions in Baltimore may have one benefit: it lets us reopen a debate...

Why Future Tax Reform Must Look Well Beyond Itemized Deductions

July 24, 2019 –
For decades, the debate over tax reform has focused on lowering rates and broadening the tax base. That is, curbing or even eliminating the annual...
State and Local Issues

The Census Is About Nearly $1 Trillion In Federal Spending, Not Just Elections

June 27, 2019 –
The US Supreme Court’s decision to leave a US citizenship question off the 2020 Census ( for now ) has focused unusual attention on the...
State and Local Issues

Your Guide to States and Localities: The Governments That Are Still Open

January 25, 2019 –
Whenever the federal government goes completely nuts , it can be comforting to remember the United States is a highly decentralized country . Fifty states...
State and Local Issues

States Enjoyed Another Stellar Quarter Of Revenue Growth; But The Longer-Term Fiscal Outlook Is Cloudy

December 18, 2018 –
States closed their fiscal 2018 books at the end of June on a positive note. But they shouldn’t bank on the good times lasting forever...

The TCJA Eliminated Personal Exemptions. Why Are States Still Using Them?

December 17, 2018 –
A key provision of 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was the elimination of the personal exemption. The change has a major effect on...

How Should Government Return Carbon Taxes To Households?

December 12, 2018 –
Carbon dividends are the hottest idea in climate policy. A diverse mix of progressive and conservative voices are backing the idea of returning carbon tax...
State and Local Issues

Tuesday's Election Produced A More Multi-colored State Map and, Perhaps, New Fiscal Agendas

November 12, 2018 –
While it may have attracted less attention than US House and Senate races, Tuesday’s elections also resulted in shake-ups in some state capitols . And...