How to Succeed in Tax Rankings Without Really Trying

by | Sep 29, 2016

The conservative Tax Foundation just released the 2017 version of its State Business Tax Climate Index (SBTCI) and once again, Minnesota is purportedly in terrible shape. Minnesota policymakers need only follow a simple strategy to improve its ranking on the SBTCI:...

“Tax-to-Benefit Ratio” Favorable for Minnesota Businesses

by | Jun 6, 2016

Attempts to rank states based on the level of business taxes rarely take into account the benefits that businesses receive from tax-funded public investments. In a report published by the Council on State Taxation (COST), analysts at Ernst & Young (EY) have filled...

Business Share of Total Minnesota Taxes Below U.S. Average

by | Jun 3, 2016

The share of total Minnesota state and local taxes paid by businesses is comfortably below the national average, according to data compiled by Ernst & Young (EY) contained in a recent report from the Council on State Taxation (COST). In fact, Minnesota is among...

A Fresh Take on Business Taxes

by | May 26, 2016

Conservatives and many business groups contend that Minnesota business taxes are high relative to other states. Apart from the dubious merit of some of these claims,* they generally do not take into account the level of economic activity that provides the base from...