Tax Foundation's Tax Policy Podcast

The Tax Policy Podcast will be taking a break for a while as we look to improve and restructure the podcast to be a more effective tool for promoting principled tax policy. Thanks for listening, and stay tuned for more details.

Tax Foundation Economist Elizabeth Malm discusses her new study on the economic effects of Amendment 66 that found the increased taxes on low and middle income earners and small businesses could prove harmful to Colorado's economy.

Tax Foundation economist Scott Drenkard discusses the 2014 edition of the State Business Tax Climate Index, which enables business leaders, government policymakers, and taxpayers to gauge how their states’ tax systems compare.

Tax Foundation Vice President for Legal and State Projects Joseph Henchman discusses his latest study (with Scott Drenkard) on what The Cornhusker State can do to reform its tax code and build on its current economic successes.

This week Tax Foundation Chief Economist William McBride discusses his new study on the nation's low investment rate and how a few key reforms can help turn it around and stimulate new economic growth.

Thinking about moving? The National Center for Policy Analysis has created a free online calculator to determine how the decision to move to another state will impact your family’s standard of living. On this episode of the Tax Policy Podcast we chat with NCPA Senior Fellow Pamela Villarreal about how the tool works and what users can learn from it.

Andrew Bagley of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation discusses the problematic creation and implementation of Massachusetts' new tax on computer and software services. More on Massachusetts here.

This week we examine a couple of new interactive tools that our listeners can use to help them understand economic policy. First, we talk with Chris Edwards of the Cato Institute, and take a look at the customizable federal spending chart on DownsizingGovernment.org. Next we have a conversation with...

Retail sales taxes are one of the more transparent ways to collect tax revenue. While graduated income tax rates and brackets are complex and confusing to many taxpayers, the sales tax is easier to understand: people can reach into their pocket and see the rate printed on a receipt. Less known, however, are the local sales taxes collected in 38 states. These rates can be substantial, so a state with a moderate statewide sales tax rate could actually have a very high combined state-...

The various credits, deductions, and loopholes in the tax code known collectively as “tax expenditures” have increased dramatically since the last major reform effort, and now account for almost twice the cost that they did in the early 1990s. In this episode, Tax Foundation chief economist William McBride discusses how that happened and what should be done now to reform the system. More information is available in Tax...

Christopher Bergin, president and publisher of Tax Analysts, discusses his organization's recent legal action against the Internal Revenue Service, and how Congress and the media have responded to the accusations of political targeting of nonprofit groups.

Tax Foundation president Scott Hodge on the so-called “Blank Slate” approach to tax reform, and what the economic impact would be of eliminating various credits and deductions in the tax code. Background material: The Economics of the Blank Slate: Estimating the Effects of...

Tax Foundation chief economist William McBride discusses President Obama's recent proposals to cut corporate tax rates while increasing tax burdens on U.S. multinational companies operating abroad.

Tax Foundation economist Kyle Pomerleau discusses new legislation to simply the multiple federal programs that subsidize higher education. More information available in Kyle's latest study, "The Higher Education and Skills Obtainment Act: A Proposal to Reform Higher Education Tax Credits."

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (Republican) and attorney and entrepreneur Robert Sarvis (Libertarian), both candidates for Governor of Virginia this year, join us to talk about their plans for the state's tax system. Tax Foundation economist Scott Drenkard starts us out, discussing his latest study on...

The Buckeye Institute's Greg Lawson discusses tax reform efforts in Ohio.

  Scott Pattison,  Executive Director of the National Association of State Budget Officers, discusses the recent rise in state revenues and what we can expect state budgets to look like going forward.

Tax Foundation analyst Nick Kasprak discusses the Supreme Court's recent decision in United States v. Windsor, which struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act. Additional resources: Tax Policy Blog, "Joint Filing in the Tax Code" by Nick Kasprak (6/26/13)...

Tax Analysts Executive Vice President David Brunori discusses gasoline taxes and the advantages to connecting the person who pays a tax with the benefits it pays for. See more from David on Twitter. Additional resources: "Gas Tax is the Way to Go" by David...

Tax Foundation economist Elizabeth Malm discusses the latest negotiations over comprehensive tax reform in The Tar Heel State. Additional resources: Tax Foundation Fiscal Fact No. 373, "North Carolina Considers Impressive Tax Reform...