The Tax Foundation is the world’s leading independent tax policy 501(c)(3) nonprofit. For over 80 years, our mission has remained the same: to improve lives through tax policies that lead to greater economic growth and opportunity.
Our Center for Federal Tax Policy, Center for State Tax Policy, and Center for Global Tax Policy each produce timely and high-quality research and analysis that influences the debate toward economically principled tax policies. Our experts are continuously analyzing the day’s most relevant tax policy topics and are relied upon routinely for presentations, testimony, and media appearances on tax issues spanning every level of government.
Likewise, providing journalists, taxpayers, and policymakers with basic data on taxes and spending has been a cornerstone of the Tax Foundation’s educational mission since its founding. As we wrote in our first edition of Facts & Figures in 1941, “Facts give a broader perspective; facts dissipate predilections and prejudices…[and are] an important step to meet the challenge presented by the broad problems of public finance.”
Policymakers should have two priorities in the upcoming economic policy debates: a larger economy and fiscal responsibility. Principled, pro-growth tax policy can help accomplish both.
21 min read
The State Tax Competitiveness Index enables policymakers, taxpayers, and business leaders to gauge how their states’ tax systems compare. While there are many ways to show how much state governments collect in taxes, the Index evaluates how well states structure their tax systems and provides a road map for improvement.
115 min read
While there are many factors that affect a country’s economic performance, taxes play an important role. A well-structured tax code is easy for taxpayers to comply with and can promote economic development while raising sufficient revenue for a government’s priorities.
92 min read
Facts & Figures serves as a one-stop state tax data resource that compares all 50 states on over 40 measures of tax rates, collections, burdens, and more.
2 min read
Unless Congress acts, Americans are in for a tax hike in 2026.
3 min read
Tax policy has become a significant focus of the U.S. 2024 presidential election. Our new interactive tool helps keep track of the tax policies proposed by presidential candidates during their campaigns.
The variety of approaches to taxation among European countries creates a need to evaluate these systems relative to each other. For that purpose, we have developed the European Tax Policy Scorecard—a relative comparison of European countries’ tax systems.
52 min read
This tax reform plan would boost long-run GDP by 2.5%, grow wages by 1.4%, and add 1.3M jobs, all while collecting a similar amount of tax revenue as the current code and reducing the long-run debt burden.
39 min read
States are unprepared for the ongoing shift to remote and flexible work arrangements, or for the industries and activities of today, to say nothing of tomorrow. In some states, moreover, existing tax provisions exacerbate the impact of high inflation and contribute to the supply chain crisis.
40 min read
Tax burdens rose across the country as pandemic-era economic changes caused taxable income, activities, and property values to rise faster than net national product. Tax burdens in 2020, 2021, and 2022 are all higher than in any other year since 1978.
24 min read
Of the 225 jurisdictions around the world, only six have increased their top corporate income tax rate in 2023, a trend that might be reversed in the coming years as more countries agree to implement the global minimum tax.
16 min read
A landmark comparison of corporate tax costs in all 50 states, Location Matters provides a comprehensive calculation of real-world tax burdens, going beyond headline rates to demonstrate how tax codes impact businesses and offering policymakers a road map to improvement.
8 min read
The 2021 tax year was the fourth since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) made many significant, but temporary, changes to the individual income tax code to lower tax rates, widen brackets, increase the standard deduction and child tax credit, and more.
9 min read
At the end of 2025, the individual tax provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) expire all at once. Without congressional action, most taxpayers will see a notable tax increase relative to current policy in 2026.
4 min read
If reelected, President Trump would drastically escalate the trade war he started during his first term. But what often goes unnoticed is President Biden’s role in continuing Trump’s first trade war. In fact, more tax revenue from the trade war tariffs has been collected under Biden than under Trump.
5 min read
A look at the data & methodology behind the Tax Foundation’s Mapping 2018 Tax Reform project which compares average 2018 tax cuts by congressional district.
3 min read
Excise taxes make up a relatively small portion of state and local tax collections—about 11 percent—but per capita collections vary widely from state to state.
3 min read
On average, state and local governments collected $1,144 per person from individual income taxes, but collections varied widely from state to state.
2 min read
One hundred percent expensing for short-life business investments was a great start but needs to be enacted on a permanent basis for it to have an impact on long-term decision-making.
15 min read
More than half the states have pension plans that are less than two-thirds funded, and five states have pension plans that are less than 50 percent funded.
2 min read
While property taxes inevitably draw the ire of some residents living in high-tax jurisdictions, property values are a relatively good indicator of the value of local services received, such as well-funded roads and schools. At the same time, good local public services can make municipalities more desirable, thereby increasing residential property value.
3 min read
As public opinion increasingly favors the legalization of recreational marijuana, a growing number of states must determine how to structure marijuana taxes.
3 min read
Tax Freedom Day is the day when the nation as a whole has earned enough money to pay its total tax bill for the year. In 2018, Tax Freedom Day falls on April 19th, 109 days into the year.
5 min read
A variety of taxing methods and a wide range of rates indicates that there is little consensus on the best way to levy vapor taxes in the U.S.
3 min read
Facts and Figures is a one-stop data resource comparing the 50 states on over 40 measures of individual and corporate income taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes, property taxes, business tax climates, and more.
1 min read
While the burden of Trump’s tariffs will ultimately be felt by most U.S. consumers, two-thirds of the new taxes will be initially borne by 10 states.
6 min read
Individual income tax rates and brackets vary widely by state. Keep track of top marginal income tax rates in your state and others with our new guide.
4 min read
Taxpayers reported $10.4 trillion of total income on their 2015 tax returns. This report breaks down the sources of this income: wages and salaries, business income, investment income, and retirement income.
9 min read