Education

Taxes and the French Revolution

The French Revolution provides insight into the relationship between a government and its citizens and serves as a reminder that tax policy can have impacts (big and small) that last for centuries.

Don’t Let the Loophole Lobby Decide the Tax Debate

If Republicans want a successful year for tax reform, they must put aside the extensive demands for niche provisions and, instead, approach this debate with a principles-first mindset.  

New Efforts on Taxing Endowments Raise Questions on Neutrality and Revenue Collection

Republican policymakers in Congress are considering options to raise revenue as part of their expected legislative package in 2025. One such option involves raising the tax rate on university endowments first put in place as part of the TCJA in 2017.

National Tax Literacy Poll: Assessing Taxpayer Knowledge and Perceptions of the US Tax System

Taxes and their broader impact are generally overlooked in American education. Taxes influence earnings, budgets, voting, and decisions on where to live, but do American taxpayers understand the US tax system?

State Tax Ballot Measures to Watch in 2024

Taxes are on the ballot this November—not just in the sense that candidates at all levels are offering their visions for tax policy, but also in the literal sense that voters in some states will get to decide important questions about how their states raise revenue.

Income Tax Earmarking and Grocery Taxes on the Ballot in Utah

Utah is the only state to earmark the entirety of one of its major taxes, but a measure on the ballot this November might change that.

How Do Governments Raise Revenue?

The government provides various services at the federal, state, and local levels. How are they paid for? Taxes.

Reining in America’s $3.3 Trillion Tax-Exempt Economy

For over a century, lawmakers have exempted politically favored organizations and industries from the tax code. As a result, the tax-exempt nonprofit economy now comprises 15 percent of GDP, roughly equal to the fifth-largest economy in the world.

National Tax Literacy Poll: Understanding the Tax Code

To make sound financial decisions and support better tax policy, taxpayers should understand the taxes they face. Unfortunately, most U.S. taxpayers do not know or are unsure of basic tax concepts.

Simplifying Saving and Improving Financial Security through Universal Savings Accounts

Universal savings accounts would boost savings for low-income households, allowing them to better withstand economic shocks, such as pandemics and recessions, and plan for major expenses, such as an expanded family, education, and housing needs.

Tax Education Shouldn’t End with Tax Day

April means Tax Day, a yearly reminder that most people don’t like our tax code. As a recent Tax Foundation poll found, people don’t understand it either. With a looming tax battle on Capitol Hill, the need for tax policy education has never been higher.

Survey Says Tax Confusion

All Americans are affected by the tax code—but do they understand the tax code?

New National Tax Literacy Poll Highlights Need for Better Tax Education

Despite taxes playing a significant role in personal finances and being levied on a sizable portion of the U.S. population, most Americans are not just unhappy with the current tax code but also do not understand it.

Nonprofits are Financially Healthy and Doing Big Business

Can an organization rightfully be called a “nonprofit” if it almost always makes money? And what if most of that organization’s income comes from “business income,” should it legitimately be considered a “charity”?

Inconsistent Tax Treatment of Student Loan Debt Forgiveness Creates Confusion

Starting on September 1st, federal student loan payments will resume after a three-and-a-half-year pause on payments and accrued interest following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Insights into the Tax Systems of Scandinavian Countries

Scandinavian countries are well known for their broad social safety net and their public funding of services such as universal health care, higher education, parental leave, and child and elderly care. So how do Scandinavian countries raise their tax revenues?

Should We Tax University Endowments?

Taxing university endowments has gained popularity recently, partly in response to the Biden administration’s forgiveness of student loan debt. Some view it as a means of holding universities accountable for the product they’re selling. Others view it as a tool to tamp down tuition rates or punish ideological opponents. But do these arguments hold water and is an endowment tax sound policy?

States That Might Tax Student Loan Debt Cancellation

Will states consider student loan forgiveness a taxable event? In some states, the answer could be yes.

Efforts to Improve Tax Treatment of Saving Gain Traction on Hill

The proposals share a common goal of improving incentives for households to save during a time when inflation is impacting their finances.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)