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Tax Foundation

This is the logo for Tax Foundation. (link)
Website:

taxfoundation.org/
Location:

WASHINGTON, DC
Tax ID:

52-1703065
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2019):

Revenue: $5,363,389
Expenses: $5,810,689
Assets: $3,940,918
Founded:

1990
Type:

Non-Profit
President:

Scott Hodge
President's Salary:

$297,085 1

References

  1. Tax Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2019, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.

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The Tax Foundation (TF) is a non-partisan think tank that advocates for principled state, federal, and global tax reform. Founded in 1937, TF uses independent data analysis to recommend sound tax policies intended to improve lives by creating economic growth and opportunity. 1

The Tax Foundation is an associate member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market state-level policy organizations. 2 While TF is nonpartisan, members of its board and staff have affiliations with the Republican Party.

Activities

The Tax Foundation’s Center for State Tax Policy works with state policymakers, governors, and business leaders to create personalized, common sense state tax policies. 3 The Center publishes its State Business Tax Climate Index annually, ranking states by how well their tax systems are structured. In its 2022 report, the Center points out that its top 10 ranked states often do not employ at least one major tax, like corporate income tax, individual income tax, or sales tax. The top 10 states that do impose all the major taxes succeed by doing so at a low rate. Conversely, the states ranked in the bottom 10 tend to have complex, non-neutral taxes with higher rates. 4

The Tax Foundation’s Center for Federal Tax Policy produces data, research, and analysis of federal tax issues intending to create economically principled tax policy reform. The Center promotes federal tax and fiscal policies that stimulate economic growth and make the U.S. more competitive. TF’s Center for Economic Analysis uses its Taxes and Growth (TAG) macroeconomic model to analyze federal tax policies and proposals. TAG has also been used to analyze legislative and campaign tax proposals, including the House GOP’s 2016 Tax Reform Blueprint and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. 5

The Tax Foundation’s Center for Global Tax Policy publishes data and research on the tax codes of countries worldwide and works with those countries’ policy professionals and legislators to influence tax reform. The Center publishes the International Tax Competitiveness Index (ITCI) annually, which ranks the tax codes of each member country of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 6 ITCI measures a country’s tax system based on its competitiveness and neutrality. Top ranking countries tend to have tax systems with relatively low individual income tax rates, exemptions for individual capital gains, relatively low corporate tax rates, and a well-structured property tax. Low-ranking countries tend to have relatively higher corporate tax rates. 7

Funding

The Tax Foundation is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. While TF does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the Sarah Scaife Foundation ($600,000 in 2019), 8 the Searle Freedom Trust ($475,000 in 2019),  9 and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation ($225,000 in 2019) 10

Senior Staff

Scott Hodge is the president of the Tax Foundation. Hodge formerly worked as director of tax and budget policy at Citizens for a Sound Economy and as a budget and tax policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation. 11

Daniel Bunn is the vice president of global projects at TF. Bunn formerly worked at the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Senate and as policy staff for both Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and former Senator Tim Scott (R-SC). 12

Alex Durante is a federal tax economist at TF. Durante formerly worked as a research assistant at the Federal Reserve Board and as a staff economist for the Council of Economic Advisers. 13

Stephen Entin is a senior fellow emeritus at TF. Entin is the former president and executive director at the Institute for Research on the Economics of Taxation, a former deputy assistant secretary for economic policy at the Department of the Treasury. 14

Josh Jaye is the director of corporate relations at TF and the former director of corporate and nonprofit relations at the American Legislative Exchange Council. 15

Cody Kallen is a resident fellow at the Tax Foundation. Kallen formerly worked as a research associate at the American Enterprise Institute and as a consultant for the World Bank. 16

Jesse Solis is the media relations manager at TF. Solis formerly worked as the deputy director of communications for the Republican staff of the House Ways and Means Committee. 17

Garrett Watson is a senior policy analyst at TF. Watson formerly worked as a senior program manager at R Street Institute and as a project coordinator at the Charles Koch Foundation. 18

Board of Directors

David Lewis is the chair of the board of the Tax Foundation and the managing director of CEO Action for Racial Equity. 19

Bill Archer is a board member emeritus of TF and the former chair of the Committee on Ways and Means. 20

Philip English is a former Republican politician and U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania. English is the co-chair of the Institute for Representative Government, chair of the advisory board of the Center for Strategic Tax Reform, and the coordinator of the Healthcare Group Purchasing Industry Initiative. 21

Douglas Holtz-Eakin is the founder and president of the American Action Forum and was the 6th director of the Congressional Budget Office. 22

Pamela Olson is a tax policy services consultant at PwC and former assistant secretary for tax policy at the Department of the Treasury. 23

Tom Roesser is the senior director of tax affairs at Microsoft. Roesser formerly worked as tax counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. 24

References

  1. “About Us.” Tax Foundation, 2022. Accessed February 7, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/about-us/.
  2. “The Network: Washington Dc.” State Policy Network, 2022. Accessed February 3, 2022. https://spn.org/directory/#DC.
  3. “About Us.” Tax Foundation, 2022. Accessed February 7, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/about-us/.
  4. “2022 State Business Tax Climate Index.” Tax Foundation, December 16, 2021. Accessed February 7, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/2022-state-business-tax-climate-index/.
  5. “Center for Federal Tax Policy.” Tax Foundation, 2022. Accessed February 7, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/center/federal-tax-policy/.
  6. “About Us.” Tax Foundation, 2022. Accessed February 7, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/about-us/.
  7. “International Tax Competitiveness Index 2021.” Tax Foundation, October 18, 2021. Accessed February 7, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/publications/international-tax-competitiveness-index/.
  8. Sarah Scaife Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2019, Part XV, Line 3a.
  9. Searle Freedom Trust, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2019, Part XV, Line 3a.
  10. Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2019, Part XV, Line 3a.
  11. “Scott A. Hodge.” Tax Foundation, 2022. Accessed February 3, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/staff/scott-hodge/.
  12. “Daniel Bunn.” Tax Foundation, 2022. Accessed February 3, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/staff/daniel-bunn/
  13. “Alex Durante.” Tax Foundation, 2022. Accessed February 3, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/staff/alex-durante/.
  14. “Stephen J. Entin.” Tax Foundation, 2022. Accessed February 3, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/staff/stephen-j-entin/.
  15. “Josh Jaye.” Tax Foundation, 2022. Accessed February 3, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/staff/josh-jaye/.
  16. “Cody Kallen.” Tax Foundation, 2022. Accessed February 3, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/staff/cody-kallen/.
  17. “Jesse Solis.” Tax Foundation, 2022. Accessed February 3, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/staff/jesse-solis/.
  18. “Garrett Watson.” LinkedIn, 2022. Accessed February 3, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrett-watson/.
  19. “Meet Our Board.” Tax Foundation, 2022. Accessed February 3, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/board/.
  20. “Meet Our Board.” Tax Foundation, 2022. Accessed February 3, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/board/.
  21. “Philip S. English.” Arent Fox LLP, 2022. Accessed February 3, 2022. https://www.arentfox.com/attorneys/philip-english.
  22.  “Meet Our Board.” Tax Foundation, 2022. Accessed February 3, 2022. https://taxfoundation.org/board/.
  23. “Pam Olson.” PwC, 2022. Accessed February 3, 2022. https://www.pwc.com/us/en/contacts/o/olson-pam.html.
  24. “Tom Roesser.” LinkedIn, 2022. Accessed February 3, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-roesser-825021142/.

Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. Douglas Holtz-Eakin
    Board Member
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: December 1, 1990

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2019 Dec Form 990 $5,363,389 $5,810,689 $3,940,918 $1,053,669 N $5,128,334 $0 $62,219 $314,770 PDF
    2018 Dec Form 990 $5,314,821 $5,100,639 $4,251,615 $1,089,293 Y $5,427,351 $0 $63,256 $293,150 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990 $5,006,283 $4,548,092 $4,362,545 $1,122,980 N $5,115,594 $0 $55,129 $324,654
    2016 Dec Form 990 $4,317,638 $4,178,093 $3,454,704 $1,101,768 N $4,274,002 $0 $39,625 $242,751
    2015 Dec Form 990 $3,557,681 $3,722,271 $3,306,998 $1,212,556 N $3,577,743 $0 $33,927 $214,696 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $3,657,116 $2,971,778 $3,654,739 $1,342,394 N $3,832,403 $0 $32,342 $202,449 PDF
    2013 Dec Form 990 $2,953,060 $2,469,668 $1,677,192 $98,393 N $2,984,069 $0 $8,771 $171,131 PDF
    2012 Dec Form 990 $2,173,216 $1,900,821 $1,155,776 $131,702 N $2,192,620 $0 $7,820 $148,534 PDF
    2011 Dec Form 990 $1,870,914 $1,768,828 $796,463 $83,944 N $1,885,201 $0 $6,070 $133,088 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Tax Foundation

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