Taxes are mandatory payments you are required to make to local, state and federal governments. They fund public goods and services from local schools to national defense – that benefit your community as a whole.
In the United States, taxes come in a variety of forms including income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes and others. Some of these taxes have due dates that vary from governing body to governing body.
Income tax
In the United States, taxpayers pay taxes on their income. The federal government collects the largest share of income tax revenue, but many states also impose a personal income tax.
The income tax system is complex, requiring numerous reporting forms, exemptions, deductions, and regulations. Several credits and refundable payments are also available.
Gross income includes salaries and wages, tips, pensions, fees earned for services, rents received, interest and dividends, and proceeds from selling assets. Adjustments are made for certain student loan interest, alimony paid, and IRA and other retirement plan contributions.
Individuals who earn more than a specified amount can deduct certain business expenses. These include interest on home mortgages, state and local taxes, and certain charitable contributions.
In addition, a net investment income tax of 3.8% is applied to individuals with taxable income above a specific threshold. This tax may be reduced by tax treaties. High-income taxpayers pay lower rates on capital gains and qualifying dividends.
Sales tax
Sales tax is imposed by states and localities on the sale of certain items. It is a tax based on the value of a product and can be either on the seller or on the buyer.
Most sales taxes are regressive, which means that low-income households pay more of their income to these taxes than do upper-income families. In average states, these taxes cost poor families almost eight times as much as their middle-class counterparts and more than five times the rate paid by rich taxpayers.
State governments rely heavily on consumption taxes as their main source of revenue. Consequently, six states on ITEP’s Terrible 10 list of the most regressive state and local tax systems – Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Washington – raise more than half of their total revenue through regressive sales and excise taxes.
Corporate tax
In the United States, the corporate tax system is the third largest source of federal revenue. It raised $230.2 billion in fiscal year 2019, 6.6 percent of all federal revenue and 1.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Corporate taxes are based on taxable income, which is the net business and non-business receipts of a corporation less allowable tax deductions. In addition, corporations may be eligible for various types of tax credits that reduce their federal, state and local income taxes.
The statutory corporate tax rate has been lowered from over 50 percent in the 1950s to its current 35 percent. However, some argue that the corporate tax rate in the United States is too high compared with other industrial nations.
Biden’s plan would increase corporate taxes, which are relatively low compared with other countries and in recent decades, to support the nation’s most important investments in our competitiveness. The plan would level the playing field and ensure that American companies pay their fair share to support critical public investments, including infrastructure, research and development, education, and workforce development.
Bribery
In the United States, bribery is illegal under Title 18 of the United States Code (USC). Under this law, a bribe is corrupt solicitation or acceptance of any item of value in exchange for official action.
A bribe may take the form of money, but it can also be an intangible asset such as a piece of property or a promise to perform a service in the future. It is important to distinguish between bribes and gifts or payments that are appropriate but could not be considered bribes.
Under the laws of many countries, a bribe is prohibited as a tax deduction. In addition, bribery can cause significant problems with international trade and economic development.
