A Surprising Rum Tax

When the U.S. Congress decided to give Puerto Rico some alcohol taxes from its rum exports, the results were unexpected.

Do Beer Taxes Make a Difference?

Hoping either to improve our health or elevate revenue, governments levy sin taxes on items like beer with results that economists debate.

6 Facts: Are Sin Taxes a Blessing?

With their U.S. roots in a 1790s Whiskey Rebellion, sin taxes vary when looking at current consumption and their state revenue.

The Lid on the Pot Industry

While states find it’s tough to predict marijuana tax revenue, they can assume that higher rates will nudge consumers toward black markets.

Finding the Best Soda Tax

Involving us individually and as a community, sugary drink taxes create nudges that result in a long list of costs and benefits.

Where a Sugary Drink Tax Won’t Work

Looking at the Philadelphia sugary drinks tax, we would find it did not accomplish many of its goals in three major categories.

Why the Philadelphia Soda Tax is Fizzling

Like all sin taxes, the Philadelphia sugary drinks tax has had an unpredictable impact on revenue and the alternatives that people select.

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.

Problems With Sugary Drink Taxes

To avoid inelastic demand, a sugary drink tax would need to increase price substantially. Current taxes that average less than 5% have little impact.