Do tax cuts pay for themselves? Q.Do tax cuts pay for themselves? A.At current tax rates, the direct revenue loss from cutting tax rates almost always exceeds the indirect gain from increased activity or reduced tax avoidance. Cutting tax rates can, however, partly pay for itself. How much depends on how people respond to tax changes. Read more about Do tax cuts pay for themselves?
What are the sources of revenue for the federal government? Q.What are the sources of revenue for the federal government? A.About 48 percent of federal revenue comes from individual income taxes, 9 percent from corporate income taxes, and another 35 percent from payroll taxes that fund social insurance programs (figure 1). The rest comes from a mix of sources. Read more about What are the sources of revenue for the federal government?
How should progressivity be measured? Q.How should progressivity be measured? A.A broad definition of progressivity, that tax burdens rise with household income, masks a host of ambiguities in measuring the effect of a tax change. The percentage change in after-tax income is the most reliable measure of the progressivity of such a change. Read more about How should progressivity be measured?
