All Tax VOX
How creating tax worker credit could benefit childless, low-income workersThe earned income tax credit helps millions of working, low-income families, but its benefits are not felt by workers without children. How could creating a new worker tax credit help these workers?
The scary new world of tax fraudTax fraud has grown to include a variety of ways for crooks to use the identities of innocent taxpayers to steal money. And it's happening just as the IRS is trying to make itself more accessible online, which could prove disastrous for taxpayers and the agency alike.
Why Republican presidential hopefuls aren't talking about tax cutsTax reform? Sure. Rate cuts? Absolutely. But so far at least, national Republicans seem more willing to tackle same-sex marriage than big Ronald Reagan/George W. Bush-style tax cuts.
Can states boost growth by cutting individual tax rates for the rich?Certain lawmakers think states can generate powerful economic growth by cutting income tax rates, especially top rates. But does economic research support the claim?
What Marco Rubio's tax policies say about his campaign strategyMarco Rubio is trying to juggle the demands of his party’s base and a more centrist, forward-looking political agenda. Nowhere is it more obvious than in his tax policy.
This small retirement savings rule change could be a big help for seniorsA small and almost unnoticed change in retirement savings rules requiring taxable distributions from 401(k)s could be a big help to middle-income seniors who want to preserve assets to pay for medical and long-term care costs in very old age.
What if a carbon tax paid for corporate tax cuts?Putting carbon taxes and corporate rate cuts together, supporters say, could mean that Democrats would back the bill as a way to reduce carbon emissions and slow climate change. Republicans would support the plan to cut corporate tax rates while retaining at least some popular business tax subsidies.
Tax cuts for the rich don't boost the economy. Tax cuts for the poor might.Tax cuts for the bottom 90 percent of US earners tend to result in more output, employment, consumption, and investment growth than equivalently sized tax cuts for the top 10 percent, according to a new paper.
Why the government shouldn't tell people how to use food stampsRestricting food stamps to use on certain foods is only fair if we put restrictions on dozens of other programs that assist people —to attend school, save for retirement, buy homes, take care of their children. Instead, let’s trust Americans to use that assistance as they see fit and not tell them how to live their lives.
Does the tax code reduce income inequality?Since it’s (almost) Tax Day, that April 15 deadline for filing tax returns, it’s a good time to ponder a very simple question: How much does the US tax system shrink the gap between rich and poor?
Ferguson city finances: not the new normalA recent DOJ investigation into the city of Feguson and its police department highlighted a 'focus on revenue rather than … public safety needs.' Even among smaller American cities still recovering from the recession, such a focus is far from normal.
One solution to California's drought: tax waterCalifornia desperately needs its residents and businesses to use less water. So rather than trying to curb water use through a complex maze of regulation, why not just raise the price though a new state-wide tax on all users?
Do Rubio and Lee have a secret plan to help poor families?A key change in the tax plan proposed by Senators Marco Rubio and Mike Lee would be very advantageous for low-income households compared with the original Lee plan and, to a lesser extent, current law.
Medicare 'doc fix' doesn't fix muchThe Medicare bill passed by Congress Thursday is an amalgam of temporary solutions to a host of health policy issues, special interest subsidies, and a promise of better health care for seniors. It may improve the way Medicare reimburses docs for the services they provide, but it won’t fix the problem.
Bobby Jindal finds the promised land of conservative tax policyBobby promoting a plan to raise $526 million without a tax increase. His trick: Turn refundable business credits into non-refundable credits.
'Family Fairness Tax Reform' is hard on poor familiesThe "Economic Growth and Family Fair Tax" plan from Senators Rubio and Lee is ambitious and expensive, but it may hurt many low-income families with children, according to new estimates.
Afraid of income taxes? A new tool to help understand the 1040.Need help understanding the 1040 as we enter the homestretch of this year’s tax filing season? The Tax Policy Center has created a new interactive tool to walk you through key parts of the federal income tax, ranging from the mundane to the arcane.
Can Rube Goldberg save our highway funding?Our tax-based highway funding is a mess. Saving it may mean making its funding path even more complicated.
Rubio-Lee hints at tax reform's troubling directionRepublican Senators Marco Rubio and Mike Lee have introduced what should probably be thought of as the first major set of tax proposals in the 2016 Presidential election season. While their proposals are unlikely to be enacted, they hint at the troubling direction that tax reform debates seem to be headed.
States want to cut taxes on pensions, proving bad ideas never dieRetirement income free of state taxes continues to seduce politicians, despite threadbare evidence that it would serve to lure seniors to their states. The idea of excluding pension income from state tax is misguided, but it's hardly new.
