All posts tagged: taxes

E-Cigarette Taxes Won’t Necessarily Cause An Increase In Smoking, Study Says

E-Cigarette Taxes Won’t Necessarily Cause An Increase In Smoking, Study Says

Published by Sam Flores

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, April 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Regulators have long been reluctant to tax e-cigarettes, worried that higher prices might unintentionally drive vapers back to tobacco cigs. But a new study suggests those fears might be misplaced, at least where adult vapers are concerned. Higher prices reduced e-cigarette use among a nationwide sample of 700 adult vapers, and sometimes caused people to switch between different types of vape devices. But there was no statistically significant evidence that raising e-cigarette prices would lead to more tobacco smoking, researchers report in the journal Health Economics. “Our findings suggest that increasing e-cigarette prices can effectively reduce vaping without the unintended consequence of more smoking among adult vapers,” said lead researcher Shaoying Ma, a research scientist at the Center for Tobacco Research at Ohio State University. “However, because adult vapers navigate a complex marketplace of disposables, pods and tanks, a one-size-fits-all tax may not be sufficient to reduce nicotine consumption,” Ma said in a news release. “Policymakers may consider tiered tax designs to achieve specific …

UK Voters Call For Lower Taxes & Energy Bills As Economic Concerns Grow

UK Voters Call For Lower Taxes & Energy Bills As Economic Concerns Grow

Published by Jenni Sidey

Via CityAM, According to a new poll, most British voters want lower energy costs and tax cuts to support growth. A large majority rated the UK economy as poor and showed little faith in current progress. Business leaders are also increasingly pessimistic, citing geopolitics and rising costs. British voters want Rachel Reeves to cut taxes and reduce energy costs in order to focus on growth, as a majority of people felt the UK economy was “poor”, new research has shown. Polling by Freshwater Strategy for the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a free market think tank, suggested that the vast majority of Brits wanted the Labour government to focus on economic growth more than it currently does.  The findings back up the Labour government’s primary mission, which is to grow the UK economy.  But respondents in a survey and focus groups suggested that voters supported small-state policies to deliver improved growth, as much of the public was confused about the measurements used by the government to track achievements.  Polling found that 77 percent believed energy costs should be …

Parents could see ,500 boost to tax credit under new Democratic bill

Parents could see $5,500 boost to tax credit under new Democratic bill

Published by Sam Flores

State Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet addresses supporters of her campaign for Congress during a primary election night watch party in Saginaw, Michigan, on Aug. 6, 2024. Andrew Roth | AP Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Mich., said Wednesday she will introduce a new bill to expand the earned income tax credit to provide a credit of up to $5,500 per child to parents of young children. The bill, shared exclusively with CNBC, is dubbed the “Working Parents Tax Relief Act” and would provide qualifying single or joint filers claiming the EITC an additional credit of up to $5,500 for up to three children under the age of four. The bill would also increase the maximum qualifying income to claim the EITC to nearly $100,000 annually if the filer has children under the age of four, and it would require the Treasury Department to create a monthly payment system for the enhancement. It comes as Democrats campaign across the country on a message of affordability, arguing that Republicans and President Donald Trump have failed to lower costs …

Tax refunds are up. Americans still paid higher taxes

Tax refunds are up. Americans still paid higher taxes

Published by Sam Flores

As President Donald Trump heads into the midterms with hopes that large tax refunds will buoy the Republicans in elections, most Americans will have already had any cash returned from their taxes eaten up by higher prices from a year of Trump’s tariffs. According to IRS data, the average tax refund jumped about 11% between 2024 and 2025, rising from an average of $3,116 to about $3,462. While the $350 difference is a decent windfall for many households, the increase is already outpaced by the taxes Americans paid via higher prices due to Trump’s tariff policy, with most estimates finding the average household has effectively paid upwards of $1,000 in tariffs, and one congressional estimate finding that a typical household has paid upwards of $1,700 in tariffs. Alex Durante, a senior economist at the conservative-leaning Tax Foundation, told Salon that the 11% increase in tax refunds also obscures the reality for most Americans: that the tax cuts resulting from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed last year will likely amount to an extension of …

Key personal tax threshold £12,570 update as £18,000 call backing soar | Personal Finance | Finance

Key personal tax threshold £12,570 update as £18,000 call backing soar | Personal Finance | Finance

Published by Sam Flores

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is being urged to raise the lowest tax threshold (Image: Getty) Support is soaring for a new call for Chancellor Rachel Reeves to raise the lowest income tax threshold to £18,000. A new petition on the parliament website has soared in support since it was created – and it is urging Ms Reeves to reverse her decision to freeze the lowest income tax threshold of £12,570 until 2031. In the November budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves extended the tax thresholds freeze to 2031. For the 2026/27 tax year, the standard UK Personal Allowance remains frozen at £12,570, meaning no income tax is paid on earnings up to this amount. Some of Britain’s most financially vulnerable workers face being taxed the moment their earnings exceed that figure – and because it has remained unchanged, inflation and wage growth mean that considerably more people are now liable for tax than would otherwise have been the case had it risen in line with historical precedent. The petition, which can be viewed here, said: “Raise the personal …

New HMRC rule in 34 days means Brits could be left ignored | Personal Finance | Finance

New HMRC rule in 34 days means Brits could be left ignored | Personal Finance | Finance

Published by Sam Flores

A new HMRC rule to become active next month could leave Brits in the financial lurch. New legal requires will mean that people who interract with the department on behalf of clients need to be registered, and meet “minimum standards”. From May 18, 2026, HMRC will introduce an online system for agent services accounts, replacing the current way to register. If an individual interacts with the department about another person’s tax affairs, and gets paid for it, officials consider them an adviser. The Government has said that “individual taxpayers may be affected if their tax advisers are no longer able to act on their behalf because they are either unable to satisfy the new registration requirements”, or if their tax adviser is sanctioned. If this were the case, they would not be able to legally act on behalf of their clients and could face penalties of up to £10,000. Officials would be able to suspend their registration for up to a year, requiring them to notify their clients. They would not be able to interact …

Trump Promised Tax Relief, but Polling Shows Most Americans Still Think They’re Overpaying

Trump Promised Tax Relief, but Polling Shows Most Americans Still Think They’re Overpaying

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Americans still think their taxes are too high, according to recent polls, even after last year’s tax law fulfilled several of President Donald Trump’s tax-related campaign promises. In fact, a new Fox News poll indicates people are more upset about taxes than they were last year. The findings from the survey, which was conducted in late March, are another sign that Americans are on edge about their personal finances as the U.S. experiences a spike in inflation and sluggish economic growth. Other polling finds that frustration goes beyond personal tax obligations, with many believing that wealthy people and corporations are not paying their fair share, while others worry about government waste. Most say taxes are too high About 7 in 10 registered voters say the taxes they pay are “too high,” according to the Fox News poll. That’s up from about 6 in 10 last year. The poll shows heightened concern among very liberal voters and Democratic men, but there has also been a sizable increase among groups that Republicans want …

US Property Taxes Rose 3 Percent On Average In 2025, Outpacing Inflation

US Property Taxes Rose 3 Percent On Average In 2025, Outpacing Inflation

Published by Jenni Sidey

Authored by Rob Sabo via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Property taxes are rising across the United States and, on average, have outpaced inflation. Homeowners in 2025 paid a total of $396.8 billion in property taxes on more than 89.6 million single-family homes, a 3.7 percent increase from 2024, an April 9 report by real estate property data provider ATTOM states. The average single-family home paid $4,427 in taxes, up by 3 percent from 2024, driven by a higher effective tax rate, according to the report. The ATTOM report analyzed tax data collected from assessment offices, combined with estimated market values of single-family homes. The estimated home value of $494,231 for 2025 was down by 1.7 percent year-over-year, ATTOM noted, following a significant spike in 2024. Nationally, the effective tax rate on single-family residences in 2025 was 0.9 percent, up slightly from the prior year and the highest since 2020, when it stood at 1.1 percent, ATTOM’s researchers wrote. The tax growth rate is higher than the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) inflation rate, which …

Key HMRC change will ‘improve transparency’ as Brits’ benefits checked | Personal Finance | Finance

Key HMRC change will ‘improve transparency’ as Brits’ benefits checked | Personal Finance | Finance

Published by Sam Flores

HMRC has marked a major milestone in its efforts to improve efficiency. The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) – the public sector’s property valuation experts and advisers, which provide the valuations needed to support local taxation and benefits – was assimilated into the department on April 1. This will “improve transparency”, the Treasury said. The VOA determines rental values to inform benefit payments, including local housing allowance – a way of calculating housing benefit or universal credit for private tenants in the UK, based on the area you live in and your household size – as well as council tax bands and business rates. Officials added: “The move will improve the experience of taxpayers and businesses, support HMRC’s delivery of the government’s commitment to reform the tax system and is expected to deliver between 5% to 10% of additional savings in Valuation Office administrative costs by the 2028 to 2029 tax year.” The Government has said it wants to “crack down” on universal credit fraud in order to recoup £1.3billion in overpayments. Officials said in December …