Browsing: Taxes

The federal government has the right approach by revising existing rules rather than starting unnecessary new programs

State government needn’t have a hand in retirement-savings fix; private-sector options already proliferate

Rich people shouldn’t be the beneficiaries’ of a federal program that gives investors tax breaks to help disadvantaged areas, critics say

Last month, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue released data showing the state’s general fund tax collections for fiscal year (FY) 2019 were up nearly $1.2 billion, or 7.4 percent, from FY 2018, and nearly $703 million higher than anticipated when the state’s FY 2018-19 budget was adopted.

The Hop, a $128 million streetcar that travels a 2.1-mile loop in downtown Milwaukee, is a classic boondoggle made possible by federal grants (i.e., taxpayer money). Meanwhile, the Joseph Project, a Milwaukee transportation enterprise that rejects government funding, is helping central city residents secure good-paying manufacturing jobs in neighboring counties. With a small fleet of church vans (most of them donated), the Joseph Project creates taxpayers instead of fleecing them.

Video shows how The Hop fleeces taxpayers while the Joseph Project creates them.

Switching to a progressive income tax structure would drive Illinois even further behind Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s pro-growth, fiscally responsible policies are drawing an increasing number of Illinois residents to the state.

An analysis of the accelerating outbound migration across the border to the Badger State

Department of Revenue’s guidelines on taxing ice cream cakes illustrate the absurd complexity of state’s sales tax system

The use of historic designation nowadays often has nothing to do with preservation

Claims that the streetcar swayed major development decisions in downtown Milwaukee are off track

Context and Trends

Income tax credits paired with numerous tax increases.

Wisconsin’s overall tax structure remains behind competitor states in simplicity, tax rates and business climate for residents and investment. How can we reform the tax structure so that the state reaches its full potential? Joe Bishop-Henchman and Katherine Loughead of the Tax Foundation discuss suggested reforms as detailed in the recent book from the Badger Institute and the Tax Foundation. Their presentation was delivered at the Badger Institute’s Policy Symposium.

A new Badger Institute and Tax Foundation report offers a menu of reforms to foster opportunity and make Wisconsin more competitive.

A guide to fair, simple, pro-growth reform

As with manufacturing property, valuations should be done by the state, with owners being able to appeal to a panel of tax experts rather than a local review board

James Madison would be dismayed by his namesake capital’s role in relinquishing local control to get federal grants

New Badger Institute book finds federal grants deprive us of our money, liberty and trust.