Taxes

After Trump’s Cuts, US Taxes Are Fourth Lowest in the Developed World

By Michael Rainey

Total U.S. taxes as a share of the economy fell to 24.3% last year, thanks in large part to the tax cuts signed into law by President Trump in 2017, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and...
Biden Unveils $3.2 Trillion Tax Plan Targeting Corporations Like Amazon

By Yuval Rosenberg

Joe Biden rolled out a plan Wednesday to raise $3.2 trillion in additional taxes over 10 years, with the wealthy and corporations paying more to cover the cost of spending proposals on health care,...
Bad News for Charity on Giving Tuesday

By Michael Rainey

“Despite Giving Tuesday and despite all the charitable appeals that almost certainly landed in inboxes, charitable donations by individuals declined by slightly more than 1 percent in 2018, according...
Only One Demographic Group Opposes Warren’s Wealth Tax

By Yuval Rosenberg

The idea of a wealth tax like the one proposed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren is popular with a broad swath of voters, Ben Casselman and Jim Tankersley of The New York Times report . A new nationwide poll...
Chart of the Day: Record Low Poverty Rate

By Michael Rainey

The extensive array of government assistance programs — including Social Security, unemployment insurance, veterans’ benefits, nutritional aid, rental assistance and the Earned Income Tax Credit —...

Public Investment Is the Key to Avoiding Economic Stagnation: Report

By Michael Rainey

Economic stagnation on a global scale is a growing threat, according to a new report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The group’s November economic outlook...
Pushing Back Against the Wealth Tax at the Dem Debate

By Michael Rainey

Sen. Elizabeth Warren defended her proposed wealth tax at the Democratic presidential debate on Wednesday night: “I’m tired of freeloading billionaires,” Warren said . “I think it's time that we ask...
Democrat's New Taxes Wouldn't Hit Just Billionaires

By Michael Rainey

Some Democratic tax proposals are focused on making millionaires and billionaires pay more, but other households would be affected as well. Neil Irwin of The New York Times points out Tuesday that...
An Easy Way to Get $1 Trillion More in Tax Revenue?

By Michael Rainey

The first step in reforming the U.S. tax system doesn’t involve raising rates or eliminating deductions, say former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers and Penn Law professor Natasha Sarin. Instead,...
FedEx Battles New York Times Over Trump’s Tax Cuts

By Michael Rainey

The New York Times published a piece Saturday highlighting the huge windfall FedEx received from the 2017 GOP tax cuts — and the company’s CEO isn’t happy with the analysis. According to the Times,...

No Deal on Trump's Border Wall as Lawmakers Scramble to Avoid a Shutdown

By Michael Rainey

As negotiations to avoid a partial government shutdown next week continue, Democratic lawmakers have rejected a Republican proposal to spend $5 billion on the border wall over two years. “No matter...
GOP Tax Bill Running Out of Time

By Michael Rainey

The tax bill introduced this week by outgoing House Ways and Means Chair Kevin Brady (R-TX) faces a tough and increasingly narrow road ahead. Politico’s Brian Faler reports that several top...
Paul Ryan Says the National Debt Is His Biggest Regret. See How It Grew Under His Watch.

By Yuval Rosenberg

Outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday that the ballooning national debt is his biggest regret. In an interview with The Washington Post , Ryan named the debt and immigration as the two...
Will the GOP Tax Law Hurt Charities This Year?

By Michael Rainey

On this Giving Tuesday – an annual event that began in 2012 to provide a counterweight to the consumption-oriented frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday – some charities are worried that they may...
Republicans Unveil Lame-Duck Tax Bill

By Michael Rainey

House Republicans unexpectedly introduced a nearly 300-page tax bill Monday evening, with the goal of passing the legislation during the lame-duck session of Congress. Ways and Means Committee Chair...