Fines and fees can impose heavy burdens on those who come into contact with the criminal legal system. Using nationally representative data from the Urban Institute’s 2023 Well-Being and Basic Needs ...

A tariff is a tax on imported goods. Despite what the President says, it is almost always paid directly by the importer (usually a domestic firm), and never by the exporting country. Thus, if the US ...

The federal government subsidizes charitable contributions for those taxpayers who have positive tax liability and itemize their deductions. However, especially since the passage of the 2017 Tax Cuts ...

Although it is generally blind with respect to race, the tax code can create racial disparities when factors that affect tax liability are correlated with race. In this working paper, we provide new ...

The federal government invests more than $500 billion annually in children through direct cash payments, including tax credits, and in-kind goods such as childcare, education, food subsidies, and ...

The 2008 and 2009 tax acts provided large temporary tax cuts to most households, with the goal of helping the economy recover from the Great Recession. The 2010 tax act extended specific provisions of ...

Although the US tax code does not explicitly reference race or ethnicity, the federal income tax system contributes to racial disparities when factors that affect tax liabilities are correlated with ...

Each year, the Internal Revenue Services receives over 3 billion information returns, such as W-2s and 1099-INTs, from employers, banks, and other entities. The IRS also collects some data about ...

This report provides an overview of interactions between the federal individual income tax system and racial and ethnic disparities in the United States. The tax code may appear to be “race blind” ...

The declining values of office buildings across the country in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic could significantly change how major cities and other localities raise revenue and provide public ...

Federal, state, and local government officials are increasingly paying attention to reforms of fines and fees. These constitute a small share of total revenues, but they can be particularly harmful ...

States are drafting fiscal year (FY) 2027 budgets in a far tougher economic environment than just a few years ago. After a post‑pandemic revenue surge, growth has slowed sharply and federal policy ...