When a Beard Is Like a Window

Although beard and window taxation were in different countries for different reasons, both relate to Willie Sutton and where the money is.

How Marijuana Taxes Affect Our Behavior

The state of Washington created new marijuana tax incentives when it switched how it taxed pot growers, processors and retailers.

Why Corporate Taxes Are Never Simple

Similar to a Magritte surrealistic painting, corporate taxes are not as simple as they appear because publicized numbers hide the real facts and incentives.

Weekly Roundup: From Steak Patents to Marijuana Taxes

Our everyday economics includes behavioral economics, trade barriers, taxes, entitlements, externalities, intellectual property and industrialization.

Marijuana Tax Problems

Creating perverse tax incentives, tax section 280E stops legal marijuana businesses from taking deductions because it is a federally controlled substance.

Weekly Roundup: From Grocery Bags to Soda Bottles

Our everyday economics includes developing nations, human capital, environment, behavioral economics, consumer spending, health care,incentives & sin taxes.

The Cigarette Tax Problem

Deciding whether they want revenue, prohibition or smuggling, lawmakers have to decide how high to make sin taxes on items like cigarettes.

When is a Tax Credit Like a Groupon Coupon?

States should use cost benefit analysis more so to assess economic development tax incentives like tax credits that target film and TV producers.

An Offer Sriracha Cannot Refuse?

Hearing tax incentives and “sensible” regulation, will Sriracha move from Irwindale, California to Texas? Last year, Irwindale residents complained that the local Sriracha processing plant was a “public nuisance.” Hearing that their teary eyes, sore throats, heartburn, asthma and nosebleeds…

Law & Order and Jimmy Fallon

States can use taxes for more than revenue. Our story begins when NYC lost the $79 million that Law & Order generated annually because NBC cancelled the show. Just feeding the actors for 14 years meant $1.5 million to David’s Gourmet Catering and…