Tax Day Resources: A Fresh Perspective on How We Think About Taxes
April 15, 2011
As the deadline for filing state and federal tax returns approaches, we have put together this resource page to provide a fresh perspective on how we think about taxes.
Tax Statshot
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities put together a series of charts to provide a big-picture look at the U.S. tax system. Check them out.
'Close the Loopholes' Day
In a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette op-ed today, PBPC Director Sharon Ward sheds light on federal and state tax loopholes that drain revenue and shift the cost of services onto the rest of us. She writes:
Lawmakers have a choice. If they choose to keep costly loopholes for the well-connected, the rest of us will pay more — in higher property taxes, higher college tuition and a weakened economy.
Pennsylvania's economy will be better off when companies thrive because of innovation and a strong marketplace rather than their ability to avoid taxes. Smaller Pennsylvania-based businesses without high-priced accountants shouldn't have to compete against — and pick up the tab for — big businesses adept at gaming the tax system.
Many of us will grumble as we prepare to file our tax returns on Monday, but let's do more than that. Let's declare April 18 Close the Loopholes Day in Pennsylvania. Let's send a message to our lawmakers: Before cutting schools, ending full day kindergarten or reducing rape crisis services, ask everyone to pay their fair share. We will all be better off for it.
Top 10 Tax Stats from Demos
For the week ahead of Tax Day, Demos' Taxes Matter has been offering daily writings, infographics, and illustrations that provide a new perspective on how we think about taxes.
Check out their Top 10 Tax Stats.
Tax Foundation Report: Not Your Typical Household Tax Burden
The Tax Foundation’s “Tax Freedom Day” report is plagued by serious methodological flaws. It is also misleading, presenting an average tax burden that is far more than what most Americans pay in federal taxes. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released a report on April 12 critiquing the annual report.
Exposing the Migration Myth … Again
Between now and “tax day” on April 18, we’re going to see a lot of misinformation about the impact of taxes on people’s lives — like the oft-repeated myth that state tax policies cause great numbers of people to flee one state for another. In reality, people move for lots of reasons, and taxes make almost no difference at all.
Read more in a blog post from Jon Shure of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
