In Some States, 2020 Estimated Tax Payments Are Due Before 2019 Tax Returns

When it comes to tax deadline extensions that have occurred in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, deadlines for filing and paying 2019 income taxes have received much of the public attention. However, self-employed individuals, investors, and others who receive income from sources other than an employer must also pay attention to changes in quarterly estimated…

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Tax Relief for Families in Europe

Most countries provide tax relief to families with children—typically through targeted tax breaks that lower income taxes. While all European OECD countries provide tax relief for families, its extent varies substantially across countries. One way to measure targeted tax relief for families is to compare the tax burdens on labor of a family with one…

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To What Extent Does Your State Rely on Sales Taxes?

This week’s map continues our look at state revenue sources, this time focusing on revenue collected through the general sales tax. Sales taxes are the second largest source of state and local tax revenue, accounting for 23.6 percent of total U.S. state and local tax collections in fiscal year 2017 (the latest data available; see Facts…

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HEROES Act Dependent Expansions Come with Major Drawbacks

In a previous post, I outlined portions of the dependent-related provisions in the recently-passed HEROES Act (H.R. 6800), focusing on changes to the EITC, CTC, and CDTC. Although the legislation increases and expands each of the credits, the changes are untimely, intentionally temporary, and lack sufficient stability, simplicity, and transparency. Timing The HEROES Act enters…

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More Than Half the States Will Protect Businesses from Certain COVID-19-Related Unemployment Insurance Tax Hikes

Across the country, unemployment insurance (UI) benefits are playing an important role in helping individuals who have lost work due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic fallout. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law on March 27, provided a temporary, federally-funded increase in UI benefits and expanded benefits eligibility.…

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HEROES Act Temporarily Increases Dependent Credit Generosity

Among other revenue provisions (Division B) of last week’s House-passed Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, the bill would make changes to certain refundable and non-refundable credits aimed at taxpayers with dependents under the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit (CTC), and Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC). This…

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Breaking Down State and Local Aid under the SMART Act

The State Municipal Assistance for Response and Transition (SMART) Act, sponsored by Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) in the Senate and by Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) in the House, would provide $500 billion in flexible funding to state, local, and tribal governments to backfill lost revenues and otherwise provide fiscal relief during…

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