Free Republic

SACRAMENTO, California — Gavin Newsom vowed Wednesday to tax any payouts that California residents receive from a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that Donald Trump secured in a settlement with his own Justice Department, as Democratic lawmakers in states across the country ramp up efforts to counter the president on the measure.

New York lawmakers are debating whether to offer a sweet taxpayer-funded wedding gift to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, The Post has learned. State Assembly Democrats on Tuesday discussed adding a $250,000 item in New York’s overdue budget to provide security for the Swift-Kelce nuptials, which will take place in the Big Apple on July 3. But an Assembly insider said the funding — sure to be politically controversial — was then pulled from the agenda. Discussions centered on whether to use state troopers to provide security for the wealthy, celebrity power couple, who can afford to pay for their...

WEEEEE!Oh, muh gosh, this is going to be so much fun, I can hardly stand the thought.What I especially love about the whole concept is being able to turn the progressive mantra about 'paying your fair share' right on its ear and right back at them. blockquote>Electric car owners could be forced to pay as much as $150 annually under a new tax that is being proposed by bipartisan leaders of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.A new proposed EV fee that will start at $135 annually beginning in October 2026 is included in a new bipartisan draft of...

Key FactsNew York lawmakers are planning the tax, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the state budget negotiations who noted the proposal would be levied at 1% of the buying price and be paid by buyers. The legislators are also considering expanding the tax to $1 million or more cash purchases in the state that would incorporate the suburbs and upstate New York, Bloomberg added. The tax in New York City alone could generate up to $160 million, according to the unnamed sources Bloomberg cited. A spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., told Bloomberg she “announced a general agreement...

On April 10, 2026, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit issued its opinion in Morris v. DOJ, reinforcing a longstanding constitutional limit on Congress’s taxing power: it may impose taxes that raise revenue, but it cannot simply prohibit conduct under the guise of taxation.The reasoning and precedents cited in Morris could bolster challenges to the constitutionality of the NFA’s registration scheme for suppressors, SBRs, SBSs, and AOWs now that the making and transfer tax on those items has been reduced to zero.The case in the Fifth Circuit is Morris v. DOJ. It concerns the federal ban on home distilleries,...

San Diego is one of the nation’s hottest housing markets, with average home prices hovering around $1 million and rents for a one-bedroom apartment topping $2,000 a month. Yet city officials estimate that more than 5,000 properties sit empty most of the year, which some advocates argue worsens the city’s housing shortage and affordability crisis. So California’s second-largest city is set to take dramatic action. In a few weeks, San Diego voters will decide whether to become the latest California municipality to tax vacant homes

Imagine a small concert venue, hosting 900 people, give or take. That’s about the number of passengers and crew on a small cruise ship, or of students attending the average U.S. public high school. A group that size collectively holds more wealth than the bottom half of the country combined, because that’s roughly how many billionaires live in the U.S. But a new bill is asking the people in that hypothetical cruise ship, concert venue, or high school to chip in, and to bankroll multi-thousand-dollar checks for millions of middle-class Americans. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ro Khanna introduced the...

Us Hunter Biden now the sacrifiacl lamb for the Democrats to use?

Washington state Democrats are magicians! In the time it takes to say abracadabra, they made millions upon millions of dollars disappear just like that!As if it weren’t bad enough that Seattle is under the reign of a communist mayor, statewide radical Democrats passed a bill masquerading as a “millionaire tax,” ushering in the state’s first-ever income tax.As I reported in a recent West Coast, Messed Coast™ report, this "millionaire tax" was always going to change — POOF! — into a thousandaire income tax, and the Washington Policy Center has the email receipts. But now, as night follows day, as thunder...

The Florida House of Representatives approved a joint resolution on Thursday to put in motion a possible constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would completely end non-school property taxes for homesteaded properties beginning on Jan. 1, 2027. The final vote was 80-30, with all Republicans supporting the proposal and all Democrats opposing it. The chances of Floridians actually voting on the amendment are long, however. The Florida Senate has yet to propose any bill during this legislative session addressing property taxes. Joint resolutions can only be placed on the ballot if they are approved by a three-fifths majority in...

In the One Big Beautiful Bill passed in 2025, the National Firearms Act (NFA) tax for silencers/suppressors, short barreled rifles (SBR), short barreled shotguns (SBS), and any other weapons (AOW) was reduced from $200 (or $5 for AOW) to $0. The elimination of the tax took effect on January 1, 2026.According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, there were over 150,000 NFA applications submitted on January 1, 2026. We do not know how many applications were for which type of NFA item. An educated guess is that a majority were for suppressors, a significant minority for SBRs, somewhat less for...

1) Republican push: cut/suspend fuel taxes and “hidden” regulatory costsState-level GOP bills: Republican legislators have repeatedly introduced measures to suspend or roll back fuel-tax increases or reduce regulatory cost add-ons, but these efforts have generally failed in Democrat-controlled committees/chambers. Federal pressure: Some California Republican members of Congress have urged the Governor to suspend scheduled state fuel tax increases and pause implementation of certain CARB policies they argue raise prices at the pump. 2) Democratic/administration posture: don’t cut fuel taxes; manage markets + pursue climate policyNo major move to reduce state fuel taxes: Democratic leadership and the Governor have not pursued...

Norwegian Cruise Line is alerting guests on Hawaii cruises in 2026 and beyond of the new Transient Accommodations Tax that levies an additional 14% on their cruise fare. While the cruise line is part of the legal challenges to the new tax, it may be some time before any court cases are resolved and in the meantime the tax goes into effect from January 1, 2026. Booked guests are reporting additional taxes on their cruise fares from $50-500 and higher, depending on the overall cost of their cruise and how much time their itinerary spends in Hawaii. Norwegian Cruise Line...

Nashville’s family-owned businesses are sounding the alarm over rising property taxes, warning Mayor Freddie O’Connell that the city risks losing the very businesses that give Nashville its character. What Makes Nashville...Nashville? Local business owners say iconic Nashville spots, its restaurants, shops, and other small businesses, are struggling under record property valuations combined with tax hikes. Many fear they may not survive. The Arnold family has been serving their signature “meat and threes” for more than 40 years. Owner Kahlil Arnold greets every customer personally, creating a restaurant that feels like family. But the Arnolds are now facing a $138,000 property...

President Donald Trump’s Treasury Department will issue a new rule that prevents illegal aliens and foreign nationals from securing income tax credits such as the lucrative Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit, Breitbart News has exclusively learned. On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the agency would issue new regulations regarding who is eligible for such income tax credits under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA). “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are enforcing the law and preventing illegal aliens from claiming tax benefits intended for American citizens,” Bessent told Breitbart News. In...

Desperately seeking a Tax manager, or at least a CPA who can work this tax season. The USA is currently experiencing a terrible, stubborn and ongoing shortage of qualified CPAs, to the point where many firms are having to turn away all new business. We've been forced to farm out returns and other tasks overseas, but have been very disappointed. Shoddy, inconsistant work, and none are capable of reviewing or signing off on returns. We have one young Filipino who has a great work ethic and has been excellent in admin and basic tax work, but his skillset is not...

Various blue states are facing towering budget deficits as federal pandemic payments end and expenditures rise. The result is a widening gap between the two parties on tax policies as Democratic leaders seek to avoid massive budget cuts in favor of tax increases. Two of the most economically moronic measures can be found in California and Illinois where leaders could be pushing high-tax residents out of their respective states.In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom is seeking a billionaire tax that would target roughly 180 individuals who are expected to remain in the state, like some voluntary canned hunt. In Chicago, Mayor...

The economy and the environment hang in the maritime balance.A big, beautiful brouhaha went down between the Trump administration and a globalist initiative by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to impose a tax on the world’s shipping industry. Amid growing doubt about the scientific legitimacy of alarmist claims of human-caused climate change, the same international bodies that have led the charge against carbon dioxide for decades now seek to launch a complex new scheme that will impose huge costs on maritime shipping. Within these machinations were the usual seeds of inflation, control, and a vision for a one-world domination by...

The bill, presented by Karol Nawrocki in August, removes the income tax obligation on families earning up to 140,000 zloty (€32,973) a year. Poland's president has signed a new law introducing zero personal income tax (PIT) for parents raising at least two children, a reform which aims to support families, increase household income and boost economic activity. The bill, presented by Karol Nawrocki in August, removes the income tax obligation on families earning up to 140,000 zloty (€32,973) a year. The tax break is available to all parents who have parental responsibility over children, including legal guardians and foster parents....

The European Union is poised to fully implement the world's first carbon border tax from Jan 1st...The EU is poised to implement the climate policy as part of an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote cleaner production processes outside the bloc.