Taxes for the Masses

In this episode, we discuss the mechanics of the IRA's Stock Buyback Tax, whether it is achieving its intended goal of curbing buybacks and how some lawmakers in the U.S. hope to expand its scope.

In this episode, we welcome Evelyn Smith, researcher at the University of Michigan, to discuss her research on racial bias in the IRS’ audit selection models.

In this episode, we discuss the general fines and penalties individuals can face related to their taxes and discuss the details of Hunter Biden’s case in light of those rules. 

In this episode, we discuss some ways artificial intelligence like ChatGPT could improve and worsen the US taxpayer experience. 

In this episode, we discuss different approaches to taxing pollution like carbon emissions, as well as recent research examining the impact of these policies.

In this episode, we provide background on the impetus for a potential IRS-run direct e-file tax return system and hear from Ayushi Roy, Deputy Director at New America, on the independent third-party review of the IRS' feasibility report.

In this episode, we mostly goof off and talk about our experiences making 50 episodes of Taxes for the Masses. 

In this episode, we break down the audit process in the U.S. and offer some perspective on which taxpayers are most likely to be audited and why.

In this episode, we outline the history of the IRS’ tax-exempt approval process and recent calls for more scrutiny over organizations applying for tax-exempt status. 

In this episode, we compare and contrast programs in the U.S. intended to make filing taxes cheaper and easier to those in other developed countries.

In this episode, we do a deeper dive into what these consumption taxes are, how they can be administered, and who pays them.

In this episode, we discuss how a national sales tax would work and the distributional effects the Fair Tax Act would have on American households.

In this episode, we discuss some of the latest tax research from the 2023 mid-year meeting of the American Taxation Association. 

In this episode, we explain the mechanics and the history of the so-called “jock tax”.

In this episode, we discuss the conviction of the Trump Organization on 17 counts of tax fraud and other crimes in the New York Supreme Court.

In this episode, we discuss how former President Trump's tax returns were made public, what they reveal, and what could come next.

In this episode, we explain the history use of 501(c)(4) organizations, how they can support a vast array of objectives, and the tax benefits they offer to those who contribute money to them.

In this episode, we discuss the estate and gift tax consequences of the Chouinard family decision regarding their Patagonia fortune as well as alternative structures they could have considered.

This episode is on the movement of high-level employees from public-sector to private-sector jobs and vice versa.

This episode is on the employee retention tax credit with special guest Stefan Richter to discuss his research on the topic.

This episode is on how states tax corporations and how that affects their business decisions, with special guest Anthony Welsch to discuss his research on the topic.

In this very special episode, recorded LIVE at the University of Iowa's Tippie College of Business, we discuss tax policies and societal inequities.

In this episode, we outline the history of the WOTC, discus the limited evidence on its effectiveness, and highlight potential room for improvement in the policy.

In today’s episode, we welcome Jane Bowman, a Minnesota Tax Court Judge, to discuss property taxes.