No, Tariffs Can't Replace Income Taxes
They are among the worst taxes imaginable—narrow, arbitrary, unstable, and regressive.
Taxes
Trump's Rebate Plan Will Push America Toward a Hyperprogressive Tax Code
The president’s $300 billion tariff rebate plan risks replaying Bush-era giveaways—but on a scale large enough to fuel inflation and deepen the deficit.
Trump Promised 'Reciprocal' Tariffs. The Numbers Tell a Different Story.
In most cases, Trump's tariffs are significantly higher than the tariffs charged by other countries on American goods.
My New Bulwark Article on Trump's Unconstitutional Export Tax
The article explains why the policy is unconstitutional, but also why it is unlikely to be challenged in court in the near future.
Trump Administration Plans To Tax More American Companies on Overseas Sales
The president's revenue-sharing agreement on chip sales to China may pass legal muster, paving the way for effective export tariffs.
Tariff Rebate Checks Are a Bad, Inflationary Idea
If Sen. Josh Hawley and the Trump administration want to spare Americans the pain from tariffs, there is a far simpler solution.
Zohran Mamdani's Socialist Vision for New York Is a Recipe for Disaster
Socialism doesn't bring a dignified life. On the contrary, it's wrecked lives wherever it's been tried.
Federal Circuit Judges Question Trump's Discovery of Vast Tariff Powers
The president is claiming "unbounded authority" to impose import taxes based on a law that does not mention them.
Alabama's Porn Tax Starts Soon
Websites are being told to create "Material Harmful to Minors tax accounts."
The National Debt Is Becoming Your Local Problem
Federal overspending is squeezing states and cities, forcing them to raise taxes, slash services, or pile on more debt.
The IRS Is Now 25 Percent Smaller (and, Hopefully, Less Dangerous)
We still need real tax reform and much lower federal spending.
We're Lying to Ourselves About Taxes, Spending, and the Debt
It's time to ask what level of spending Americans truly want with the money we actually have.
Can Trump Use Emergency Powers To Tax All Imports? His Tariffs Are Back in Court on Thursday.
To win in court, the Trump administration will have to argue against a pair of legal theories that conservatives have spent years developing as a way to check executive power.
Yes, Tariffs Are Raising Prices
And if Trump moves ahead with his threatened August 1 tariff hikes, prices will climb even more.
Trump's 'Deal' With Japan Is Another Loser for Americans
Not only does it raise taxes on American consumers, but it leaves American automakers at a distinct disadvantage relative to their Japanese competitors.
Leaked Blueprint Reveals ICE Plan To Use IRS Data To Increase Detentions
ICE wants to access confidential IRS data to locate tax-paying undocumented immigrants and boost detention numbers.
In Just 1 Year, 134 Lifeguards Cost Los Angeles Taxpayers $70 Million
The highest earner received a grand total of $523,351.
There Are Better Ways To Help Restaurant Workers Than No Tax on Tips
Helping servers takes more than a temporary tip tax break.
There's No Good Reason for Cities and States To Build or Subsidize Sports Stadiums
“There's no such thing as a free stadium,” says J.C. Bradbury. “You can't just pull revenue out of thin air.”
Gun Rights Groups Welcome the Demise of Illogical and Constitutionally Dubious Federal Firearm Taxes
The taxes on sound suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns, originally enacted in 1934, were meant to be prohibitive, imposing bans in the guise of raising revenue.
The $4 Trillion 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Breaks the Bank and Violates Congress' Own Budget Rules
This is what Washington calls compromise: The House proposes $1, the Senate proposes $2, and somehow, the government ends up spending $3.
The Tax Bill Rewards States for Higher Rates of Food Stamp Fraud
Telling states to pay for a share of the food stamp program makes a lot of sense and would likely reduce fraud.
J.D. Vance Says Immigrants Will 'Bankrupt' the Federal Government. The Opposite Is True.
Vance cast the tie-breaking vote for a bill that will add $4 trillion to the debt. Meanwhile, immigrants are helping to keep the federal government's fiscal house of cards propped up.
Republican Holdouts
Plus: Zohran Mamdani doesn't understand what New York's families need, Lia Thomas titles revoked, and more...
Why the 'Current Policy' Baseline Is a Massive Gimmick That Effectively Kills the Filibuster
Republicans are creating a budgetary loophole that will allow Democrats to pass Medicare for All and pretend it costs almost nothing.
Tariffs Are Keeping Interest Rates High
The Federal Reserve is unwilling to lower interest rates because "there will be some inflation from tariffs coming," Jerome Powell told a Senate committee.
Why Do Republicans Support the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit?
Publicly funded homes in some cities are costing taxpayers more than $1 million per unit, but Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” would increase funding for these inefficient projects.
Sports Absolutely Do Not Need Politicians More Involved
Plus: A case for gambling freedom, the NHL’s tax dilemma, and a soccer movie.
Negating Democratic Consent
How the Colorado Supreme Court has nullified Colorado constitutional limits on taxes, debt, and corporate privilege.
The 'Big Beautiful Bill' Will Require Even More Borrowing Than Previously Thought
After accounting for the dynamic effects of the Trump-backed tax bill, the CBO concludes it will add $2.8 trillion to the deficit over 10 years.
The Government Seized Her Home for a Project That Never Happened
Twenty years after Susette Kelo lost at the Supreme Court, the land where her house once stood is still an empty lot.
Trump Is Slapping a 50 Percent Tariff on Home Appliances
Refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers are among the products subject to the president’s 50 percent tariff on imports derived from aluminum and steel.
How Trump's Imposition of Massive Tariffs is Repeating the "Ship Money" Abuses of King Charles I
Like King Charles, he is abusing emergency powers to impose taxes without legislative authorization.
Extending the Trump Tax Cuts Is a Good Idea. But It Won't Deliver 'Big, Beautiful' Economic Growth.
The budget legislation is full of other expensive provisions that will add trillions to our sky-high national debt.
Tax Comparisons Show 'Free' Stuff is Very Expensive
And the stuff you get is of the government’s choosing—not yours.
What Ronald Reagan's Fusionist Politics Teach Us About Liberty, Virtue, and Their Limits
Fusionism holds that virtue and liberty are mutually reinforcing, and that neither is possible in any lasting or meaningful way without the other.
The 'Big Beautiful Bill' Will Add $2.4 Trillion to the Deficit
That total will rise to about $3 trillion once the interest costs of more borrowing are included.
Belated Republican Objections to the One Big Beautiful Bill Glide Over Its Blatant Fiscal Irresponsibility
House members who discovered objectionable elements only after voting for the package nevertheless underline the unseemly haste of the legislative process.
An "Ugly Tax" in Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill"
Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby rightly decries the GOP's inclusion of a tax on remittances immigrant workers send to their families, in the "Big Beautiful Bill."
America's Credit Is Falling—and the Government Is Still Digging Deeper Into Debt
The lesson from the Moody's credit downgrade is that the U.S. cannot borrow its way to prosperity.
The GOP Tax Bill Will Add $2.3 Trillion to the Deficit, CBO Says
That total could double if temporary provisions in the bill become permanent, as is likely to happen.
An End to Tax on Tips
Plus: Lab-grown meat fears, DOJ inquiry into Cuomo, Kristi Noem's polygraphs, and more...
The GOP Budget Is Big, Bloated, B.S.
Plus: A listener asks if the economic inequality data is bad.
Not Even the Moody's Downgrade Can Make Republicans Take the National Debt Seriously
Friday's announcement by Moody's and the House Budget Committee vote could have been a turning point.
Trump's Tax Plan Is a Leftist Economic Agenda Wrapped in Populist Talking Points
The administration shows no coherent commitment to free market principles and is in fact actively undermining them.
New York's Biggest Budget Doubles Down on the Mistakes Driving People Out
Lawmakers passed the largest spending plan in state history, pushing costs higher without delivering results.
The New Stadium Scam Is a Server Farm
Local governments love giving sweetheart deals to billion-dollar companies—now data centers instead of football stadiums.
Trump's Tariffs Usurp the Legislature's Tax Power
The president’s sweeping import levies have no basis in the statute he cites.
