Stream of Reading (Prepare to be Forwarded) – An Archive of What I'm Reading
The actual contents of a Rhode Island woman’s cupboard after two shopping trips paid for with food stamps. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post) Poverty looks pretty great if you’re not living in it. The government gives you free money to spend on steak and lobster, on tattoos and spa days, on — why not? —…
The Internal Revenue Service Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The number of IRS-related phone scams is on the rise. J. David Ake/AP hide caption itoggle caption J. David Ake/AP True story: The other day, I attended a speech by IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, who said phone scammers are swarming the country in the run-up to April…
James Kwak hit the nail(s) on the head about our corrupt tax system that mostly benefits the very rich. Here are three tax avoidance strategies that he brings to light — and says these three tax schemes top his list for the ones most in need of tax reform… 1) Ending the “step-up in basis”…
We’re not far into tax season, but numerous US states are already reporting a big increase in suspicious return filings, another reminder of the escalating problem that tax return fraud has become. Alabama, Utah, and Minnesota have all issued warnings in recent days, with most states directing blame for the sudden uptick at third-party tax…
A new analysis suggests that President Barack Obama ’s recent tax proposals would do little to boost incomes for middle-class households, and actually could wind up raising taxes on many, at least by some measures. The analysis by the Tax Policy Center, a joint venture of the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute, tends to undercut recent…
U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about community college education during a visit to Pellissippi State College in Knoxville, Tennessee, January 9, 2015. Obama wants to make two years of community college free and universally available, a proposal he said on Thursday he would flesh out in his State of the Union speech later this month….
Who Pays? 5th Edition Read the Report in PDF Contents: Executive Summary Introduction The 10 Most Regressive State & Local Tax Systems The Least Regressive State & Local Tax Systems The Kind of Tax Matters Income Taxes Sales & Excise Taxes Property Taxes Low Taxes or Just Regressive Taxes? The Economic Case for Tax Fairness…
Tax reformers’ hope springs eternal, but don’t bet on a big tax deal in 2015 or 2016. Don’t bet on a medium-sized one either. The parties are too far apart to enact a sweeping reform of the U.S. tax code that includes the personal-income tax. Most Republicans want fewer tax breaks, lower rates and especially…
Medicaid, the nation’s public health insurance program for low-income people, covers health and long-term care services for over 66 million Americans. Medicaid beneficiaries include many children, working families, low-income elderly, and individuals with disabilities. To participate in Medicaid, states are required to meet federal core requirements; however, states have significant flexibility to expand beyond program…