Funding: NEA
Summary: This project is a study of the New Jersey state and local taxation system. The study will be made up of two segments. The first segment will describe what are generally thought to be the components of an ideal state and local tax structure, examining various models used to describe the ideal mix of taxes and non-tax revenue. The study will review an extensive body of literature to describe the optimal structure of particular taxes and present what is generally thought to be the best way to structure 1) individual income taxes, 2) corporate income taxes, 3) sales taxes, and 4) property taxes. New Jersey’s tax system will be compared with these widely accepted notions of sound tax policy. The second segment of the study will examine particular aspects of the New Jersey tax system, including relative reliance on different types of taxes and non-tax revenue, relative tax levels, the mix of business and household taxes, as well as how New Jersey compares with states in the surrounding area with respect to tax rates.