Complexity of VATs in Europe

Businesses are required to remit Value-Added Taxes (VAT) on goods and services sold to final consumers. The administrative burden of complying with the tax varies significantly across countries. Today’s map shows how complex—or simple—it is to remit VAT in European countries. One way of estimating the VAT’s administrative burden is to measure the time needed…

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Sports Betting Will Not Solve State Budget Crises

The coronavirus pandemic has left states and localities in dire straits financially and lawmakers are getting creative in their pursuit of new revenue sources. Sports betting is one such source. However, it is very unlikely that revenue from sports betting will have any meaningful impact on budget shortfalls. States legalizing sports betting in the hopes…

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How High Are Taxes on Recreational Marijuana in Your State?

As the public grows more supportive of recreational marijuana, states deciding to legalize it must figure out their approach toward taxing cannabis sales. Eleven states (Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington) and the District of Columbia have legalized the use and possession of recreational marijuana, but only nine of these jurisdictions…

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A Road Map to Recreational Marijuana Taxation

Key Points: Legal recreational marijuana sales are ongoing in nine states, covering 27 percent of the U.S. population. In 2018, 10.5 percent of adult Americans had used marijuana products in the last 30 days. States have designed different excise tax systems for recreational marijuana. While most tax based on price, states also tax marijuana based…

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