Tax Foundation

Taking Time

12/31/2010
In 2010, Illinois Citizens spent 101 days working off their state and federal taxes, the Quinn tax hike will take even more of your time.

Amazon Tax Could Put a Damper on Holiday Shopping

By Chris Andriesen
11/23/2010
by Ashley Muchow The holidays are just around the corner–the smell of turkey and apple pie are in the air. As you begin documenting the expansive list of gifts to get grandma, aunt Carol, or your beloved grandson, consider this: Illinois legislators are considering a bill that would make shopping online for these loved ones...

The Wisconsin/Illinois Jobs Spat

By Chris Andriesen
11/15/2010
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is engaged in a jobs spat with Wisconsin Governor-Elect Scott Walker. Walker had questioned the wisdom of committing Wisconsin to additional “high speed rail” boondoogle spending (read why he’s right on the policy merits); Governor Quinn responded by trying to woo a Wisconsin-based rail firm to Illinois. Beyond targeted campaigns to win over one company or another...

Illinois Tax Amnesty. Will it Work?

10/14/2010
by Ashley Muchow A five-week tax amnesty period for those behind on their taxes this year began the 1st of this month. SB377, signed into law this summer, allows those who have accumulated back taxes between June 30, 2002 and July 1, 2009, to pay without penalty from October 1st to November 8th. Those tax...

How to Empty Fat Wallets

09/29/2010
by Kristina Rasmussen Earlier today I testified at a House Revenue committee hearing on the matter of online taxation. Up for consideration was SB 3353, and more broadly, the hearing served as a review of attempts to use online affiliates of Internet retailers to establish physical nexus for taxation purposes. So what’s at stake? Some want to impose so-called...

U.S. corporate tax rate pushes jobs overseas

09/27/2010
by Ashley Muchow Our current administration has another plan to bring jobs back the U.S.  Though the end goal is merited, the plan of action is grounded in poor economic reasoning. President Obama claimed last week that “for years, our tax code has actually given billions of dollars in tax breaks that encourage companies to...

Spotlight on Spending #13: ‪Illinois Film Tax Credit Program‬

By Chris Andriesen
09/22/2010
The Problem Witnessing explosions from the latest Transformers movie on Michigan Avenue and catching glimpses of movie stars like Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie may provide an exciting novelty for Illinois residents. But is it worth the price? Illinois state government offers film production projects generous tax incentives to film within its borders, but the...

Commit, Speaker Pelosi

09/16/2010
by Kristina Rasmussen A report from the nonpartisan Tax Foundation found that the sunset of the Bush tax cuts at the end of 2010 would cost the average middle-income Illinois family earning $68,958 some $1,640 in higher taxes in 2011. Check out our handy table to see how much your family could pay in higher federal and/or state...