We have a lot more winter—and potentially lots more brutal cold, snow, and ice—to go through before the arrival of …
Tax Policy
Obama Cracks Down on Tax Dodgers
The federal government is prosecuting more Americans for tax crimes under President Barack Obama than it did under his predecessor George W. Bush, according to a report published Tuesday.
Pay No Attention to Money-Losing Casinos. Let’s Build More Casinos
Increased competition is making it more difficult for casinos to keep locals employed and pass along hefty payments to host states—which are the two biggest selling points for allowing gambling in the first place. This isn’t …
Here Comes the Bitcoin Taxman
Bitcoin has generated a lot of buzz because of its ingenuous design, but how widespread its use will become has just as much to do with government policy as any of the virtual currency’s inherent qualities.
Bitcoin prices, for …
Gas Prices Will Fall in 2014. But You May Pay More at the Pump Anyway
Analysts expect gas prices to decrease or remain mostly flat not only in 2014, but for years to come. Nonetheless, drivers in some states will see higher prices at the pump, starting January 1.
Why Politicians Keep Jacking Up Taxes on Travelers
Politicians are addicted to taxes that they swear aren’t really taxes—not ones paid by locals anyway.
5 Ways a Few Hundred Dollars Will Change Your Life
Holiday spending is down. Good. Here are five ways to spend on your future before you give in to the Santa impulse.
Report: Fix Social Security Now–or Pay a Stiff Price
A bipartisan think tank finds that the costs of shoring up Social Security will skyrocket in coming years. We need to act now, while the costs are manageable.
Don’t Go Shopping This Weekend: Sales Tax Holidays Coming
Retailers have been promoting back-to-school deals since, well, since before many kids were even out of school. But the annoyance of endless seasonal promotions is only one reason to hold off a little while longer on back-to-school purchases.
State vs. State: Hot Summer for States Stealing Businesses, Workers, Tax Revenues
So much for the United States. In skirmishes around the country, states are battling it out with their neighbors—and sometimes, states in other time zones—over sales tax revenues, marijuana taxes, weapons manufacturing businesses, and the pool of local labor.
Here are a few of the ongoing state-vs.-state showdowns:
The Dakotas …
The Other Complication for Airbnb and the Sharing Economy: Taxes
Few people involved in the sharing economy know what taxes they’re supposed to pay, nor how to pay them. Because the rules are unclear, enforcement is almost nonexistent, and the feeling that “sharing” shouldn’t be taxed at all, very few people do pay them.
Buying Lottery Tickets Just Keeps Getting Easier
It’s not like buying lottery tickets is particularly difficult. But because states continually want to increase revenues via rising lottery sales, they’re constantly looking for “innovations” that make lottery tickets easier to buy and available at every turn—like at the gas pump, the ATM, or just the computer screen.