Improving Lives Through Smart Tax Policy
The Tax Foundation is the nation’s leading independent tax policy nonprofit. Since 1937, our principled research, insightful analysis, and engaged experts have informed smarter tax policy at the federal, state, and global levels. For over 80 years, our goal has remained the same: to improve lives through tax policies that lead to greater economic growth and opportunity.
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Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)
After-Tax Income
Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
Apportionment
Audit
Average Tax Rate
Base Broadening
Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT)
Bonus Depreciation
Book Income
Bracket Creep
C Corporation (C corp)
Cadillac Tax
Capital Allowance
Capital Gains Tax
Capital Stock Tax (Franchise Tax)
Carbon Tax
Child Tax Credit (CTC)
Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
Consumption Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Cost Recovery
Depreciation
Direct Tax
Double Taxation
Dynamic Scoring
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
Estate Tax
Excise Tax
Externality
Flat Tax
Foreign Derived Intangible Income (FDII)
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
Full Expensing
Gas Tax
Gift Tax
Global Intangible Low Tax Income (GILTI)
Graduated Rate Income Tax
Gross Receipts Tax
Head Tax
Indirect Tax
Individual Income Tax
Inflation
Inflation Indexing
Inheritance Tax
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
International Tax Rule
Internet Sales Tax
Itemized Deduction
Last-In, First-Out (LIFO)
Marginal Tax Rate
Mark-to-Market (MTM)
Marriage Bonus
Marriage Penalty
Mortgage Interest Deduction
Net Operating Loss Carryback
Net Operating Loss Carryforward
OECD Pillar 1
OECD Pillar 2 (Global Minimum Tax)
Pass-through Business
Pass-Through Business Deduction (Sec. 199A Deduction)
Patent Box
Payroll Tax
Pigouvian Tax
Profit Shifting
Progressive Tax
Property Tax
Qualified Business A-set Investment (QBAI) Exemption
Recession
Refundable Tax Credit
Regressive Tax
Repatriation
S Corporation
Sales Tax
Sales Tax Holiday
Soda Tax
South Dakota v. Wayfair
Standard Deduction
State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction
Static Scoring
Step-Up In Basis
Super-Deduction
Supernormal Return
Surtax
Tariff
Tax
Tax Base
Tax Bracket
Tax Credit
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA)
Tax Deduction
Tax Exemption
Tax Expenditure
Tax Gap
Tax Incidence
Tax Pyramiding
Tax Reciprocity Agreement
Tax Refund
Tax Wedge
Taxable Income
Territorial Tax System
Undertaxed Profits Rule (UTPR)
User Fee
Value-Added Tax (VAT)
Wealth Tax
Windfall Profits Tax
Withholding
Worldwide Tax System
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Taxes have been a staple of governance around the globe for over 5,000 years and are the mechanism by which a government can provide goods and services for its citizens, who may not be able to access them otherwise.
Governments do not sell products or have profits, so the only way to fund services is by asking us to pay taxes on the money we earn, things we buy, and property we own. Whether you support higher or lower taxes, the reality is that you likely benefit from what they make possible in your daily life. Taxes allow for projects and services like roads and infrastructure, emergency services, education, and national defense, just to name a few.
Some taxes, like property taxes, fund local services such as schools, fire departments, and police. Others, like excise taxes on liquor, cigarettes, and sugar, discourage unhealthy behaviors that lead to broad, societal costs.