State governments are responsible for most of the direct domestic spending that affects the well-being of their citizens. Fiscal stability, important for state governments to serve the public, is influenced by both state tax systems and spending programs. This important new book explores how states’ tax systems have changed, particularly in the aftermath of the Great Recession, why changes were made, and how these policies contributed to state fiscal stability. Author Yuhua Qiao examines tax systems, including state personal income tax, corporate income tax, sales and use tax, fuel tax, healthcare provider tax, and sin taxes. As fiscal stability largely depends on a tax system with a broad base and diverse sources, this book pays special attention to how changes affect the tax base, as well as the challenges and opportunities states face in broadening it.
Case studies within the book provide a rich discussion about the context under which a tax reform is adopted as well as its repercussions. The first book dedicated to a comprehensive examination of tax policy changes at the state level since the Great Recession, State Tax Systems: Policy Making for Fiscal Stability will help state government officials, public finance scholars, and students gain a better understanding of a given tax policy’s impact on state fiscal health over the long term.
1. State Government Finance and the Fiscal Stability
2. State Expenditure Responsibilities: Trend and Cost Drivers
3. The Great Recession and State Tax Policies: An Overview
4. The Great Recession and Tax Increases: Stories in Three States
5. The Great Recession and Tax Cuts: Stories in Two States
6. State Income Taxes: How to Keep This Revenue Pilar Stable?
7. State Corporate Income Taxes: How to Reform Them for State Fiscal Stability?
8. State Sales Taxes: How to Modernize Them for State Fiscal Stability?
9. State Sin Taxes: Are They Stable Enough for State Fiscal Stability?
10. Marijuana Tax: Is the New Revenue Source Reliable?
11. User Fees and Charges, Gasoline Taxes, and Health Provider Taxes
12. State Tax Policies during the COVID-19 Pandemic
13. Conclusion: Have State Tax Policies Improved Their Fiscal Stability?
Biography
Yuhua Qiao is Professor in the Department of Political Science and Philosophy at Missouri State University, USA.
