Explore Freedom

Abolish the IRS — and the Income Tax with It

by Sheldon Richman May 16, 2013

The Internal Revenue Service has been caught engaging in political profiling while processing applications for tax-exempt status. In this case it was against organizations with “tea-party” or “patriot ” in their names and other right-wing groups. Next time it could be libertarian or left-wing antiwar and pro-civil-liberties groups. No dissenter can ever rest assured he is safe from the  [click for more]

All Taxation Is Theft

by Laurence M. Vance April 3, 2013

When it comes to governments the world over, bad economic policies usually beget more bad economic policies. That is especially true when it comes to taxes. The eyes not just of Europe but of the world were on Cyprus recently when, as part of a proposed bailout package, ordinary bank depositors were to be taxed to pay part ... [click for more]

California: Remember the Taxes You Didn’t Owe? Surprise!

by Wendy McElroy February 27, 2013

California cannot chase business away fast enough, it seems: high taxes, cap-and-trade, voracious unions, bankrupt cities, and now retroactive taxation. Shortly before the Christmas holidays and oh so quietly, the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) rescinded a tax break that dated back to 1993. The Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) exclusion allowed small businesses and investors who met certain conditions ... [click for more]

The One Good Thing That Happened During Obama’s First Term

by Laurence M. Vance January 23, 2013

It has been said that every president makes you nostalgic for his predecessor. This has been true since John Adams signed into law the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798. But since the election of Barack Obama in 2008, I think I have heard it said more often than usual. Although I am not the least bit nostalgic for any ... [click for more]

Tax-Raising Insanity

by Scott McPherson December 10, 2012

It’s an overused expression, but the fact remains that doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results truly is insanity. The amount of trust people put in “public servants” is one such example. Even worse is the public’s continued willingness to grant politicians and bureaucrats the means by which our own impoverishment is furthered. I’m speaking ... [click for more]

Should More People Pay Taxes?

by Laurence M. Vance October 9, 2012

Should people pay more taxes or should more people pay taxes? Liberals and Democrats usually opt for the former while conservatives and Republicans generally prefer the latter. Libertarians not only don’t take sides, they reject both propositions. While campaigning for president, on September 12, 2008, in Dover, New Hampshire, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois said in a speech, And I can ... [click for more]

Romney, Taxes, and Dependence on Government

by Sheldon Richman September 20, 2012

Mitt Romney isn’t just out of touch; he’s also out of sync with the movement to shrink government. In an interview clarifying his now-infamous speech to donors, captured on clandestine video, Romney said, “I think people would like to be paying taxes.” Come again? He also said, “The good news is if you are doing well enough financially that you ... [click for more]

Tax-Credit Hypocrisy

by Laurence M. Vance March 6, 2012

There are always rallies, marches, and demonstrations taking place in the nation’s capital, but a recent event organized by the American Mustache Institute was certainly one of the most unusual to ever take place. Members of the American Mustache Institute (AMI), a tongue-in-cheek advocacy group with the mission of “protecting the rights of, and fighting discrimination against, mustached ... [click for more]

Taxing the Rich

by Laurence M. Vance October 26, 2011

President Obama’s American Jobs Act of 2011 (S.1660) recently went down to defeat in the Senate. Two Democrats joined with all forty-six voting Republicans (Sen. Tom Coburn did not vote) to kill the $447 billion plan. The most egregious part of this bill was that it “amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose on individual taxpayers in taxable years ... [click for more]

O’er the Land of the 39 Percent Free

by Fergus Hodgson August 18, 2011

I hope you enjoyed last weekend, because Friday didn’t mark just the end of your working week; it also marked the annual Cost of Government Day. According to Americans for Tax Reform, each U.S. resident works 224 days to pay for the cost of government, including spending and regulatory compliance, up 27 days from just three years ... [click for more]

Amazon Taxes Rely on Economic Fallacy

by Fergus Hodgson July 7, 2011

The “Amazon” tax neither generates revenue nor creates a level playing field. It does eliminate profitable relationships and drive companies out-of-state, but that hasn’t stopped elected officials from plowing ahead obstinately. Concerned that people can avoid sales taxes by shopping online, seven states have passed legislation to place out-of-state retailers within their jurisdiction. Fourteen more have ... [click for more]

Tax Credits Are Not Subsidies

by Laurence M. Vance June 21, 2011

Do tax credits — as well as tax deductions, tax loopholes, tax shelters, and tax exemptions — constitute subsidies? Many Republicans and conservatives think so. Senate Republicans are divided over a proposal to eliminate the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit. An amendment to that end (S.Amdt.436) by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) to the Economic Development Revitalization Act of ... [click for more]