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Tax Foundation

EIN 52-1703065 · Washington, DC

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair63 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO IMPROVE LIVES THROUGH TAX POLICIES THAT LEAD TO GREATER ECONOMIC GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY.

Income
$7.7 million
Spending
$9.1 million
Spent on programs
71%
Reserves
6 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 98%
Employees
58
Volunteers
13
Highest pay
$408,546, president & ceo and board secretary

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 63 out of 100. Higher than 29% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 6.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 39% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 17% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 3% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    71% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    13 of 13 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (5)
  1. $1.8 million spent. MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION - THE FOUNDATION'S MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS TEAM MAKES TAX POLICY ENGAGING AND ACCESSIBLE TO TAXPAYERS, LEGISLATORS, AND THE MEDIA THROUGH INNOVATIVE, MULTI-CHANNEL CAMPAIGNS. THE FOUNDATION'S TEAM DELIVERS HIGH-QUALITY CONTENT TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE, AT THE RIGHT TIME, IN A FORMAT THAT PROMOTES DEEPER UNDERSTANDING USING TOOLS LIKE SOCIAL MEDIA, DIGITAL ADVERTISING, INTERACTIVE WEB EXPERIENCES, AND EMAIL. IN 2025, THE FOUNDATION EARNED 68,624 MEDIA CITATIONS IN THE WORLD'S TOP NEWS OUTLETS, INCLUDING THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, THE WASHINGTON POST, THE NEW YORK TIMES, NBC NEWS, FOX NEWS, AND NPR; ITS EXPERTS CONDUCTED 94 RADIO AND TV INTERVIEWS AND PLACED 47 OP-EDS; TAXFOUNDATION.ORG WAS VISITED 24 MILLION TIMES; ITS SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCE GREW 127 PERCENT TO OVER 145,000 TOTAL FOLLOWERS; ITS PODCAST LISTENERSHIP GREW BY 140 PERCENT, RESULTING IN OVER 462,000 LISTENS; AND ITS EMAIL NEWSLETTER GREW 9 PERCENT TO OVER 83,200 SUBSCRIBERS.
  2. $1.8 million spent. FEDERAL TAX POLICY - THIS PROGRAM PROMOTES SOUND TAX POLICY IN WASHINGTON D.C. THE FOUNDATION PROVIDES OBJECTIVE DATA AND ANALYSIS ON TAX POLICY USING SEVERAL TOOLS, INCLUDING MODELING OF ECONOMIC AND BUDGETARY EFFECTS, RESEARCH, WRITING, CAPITOL HILL BRIEFINGS, AND CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY. THE FOUNDATION HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS THE GO-TO RESOURCE ON FEDERAL TAX ISSUES FOR POLICYMAKERS. IN 2025, THE STAFF CONDUCTED MORE THAN 96 CAPITOL HILL MEETINGS, BRIEFINGS, AND PRESENTATIONS TO VARIOUS PUBLIC AUDIENCES, WERE CITED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 53 TIMES, AND PRODUCED DOZENS OF REPORTS AND BLOG POSTS ON A VARIETY OF ISSUES THAT RECEIVED MORE THAN 55,700 CITATIONS IN LEADING MEDIA OUTLETS.
  3. $1.5 million spent. GLOBAL TAX POLICY - THIS PROGRAM WAS LAUNCHED TO PROMOTE PRO-GROWTH TAX POLICIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD WITH A PRIMARY FOCUS ON US CROSS BORDER POLICIES AND THOSE IN EUROPE. THE GLOBAL PROGRAM PRODUCES IN-DEPTH STUDIES OF ECONOMIC DATA AND USES A VARIETY OF MEASURES, SUCH AS THE INTERNATIONAL TAX COMPETITIVENESS INDEX, TO COMPARE TAX SYSTEMS. THE FOUNDATION'S EXPERTS HAVE PROVIDED BRIEFINGS IN COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT EUROPE AND ARE RELIED UPON BY MEDIA, POLICY MAKERS, AND OTHER POLICY GROUPS TO PROVIDE ANALYSIS OF TAX PROPOSALS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. IN 2025, THE FOUNDATION'S EXPERTS WERE CITED IN 84 COUNTRIES, TESTIFIED BEFORE CONGRESSES AND PARLIAMENTS ALIKE, AND RECEIVED NEARLY 18,000 MEDIA CITATIONS.
  4. $1.2 million spent. STATE TAX POLICY - THIS PROGRAM PROMOTES STATE TAX REFORM WITH COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL REPORTS, RESEARCH, POLICY ANALYSIS, AND IN-DEPTH STATE-SPECIFIC STUDIES. IN 2025, THE FOUNDATION TESTIFIED OR PRESENTED TO OFFICIALSVIRTUALLY AND IN-PERSONIN 35 STATES, MET WITH IN STATE GROUPS OR AUDIENCES IN ALL 50 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND ITS FLAGSHIP STATE TAX COMPETITIVENESS INDEX (STCI) WAS VIEWED NEARLY 471,000 TIMES (A 172 PERCENT INCREASE OVER 2024). THE FOUNDATION IS OFTEN LOOKED TO BY LEGISLATORS, TAXPAYERS, AND THE MEDIA (WITH 18,890 MEDIA CITATIONS IN 2025) TO RECOMMEND TAX REFORM OPTIONS OR PROVIDE ANALYSIS OF TAX PLANS. THE FOUNDATION'S ANALYSIS, AND STUDIES SUCH AS THE STCI, INFORM THE TAX REFORM DEBATE ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL TO MAJOR TAX CHANGES IN MANY STATES, AND FOUNDATION EXPERTS HAVE BEEN A VITAL RESOURCE TO POLICY MAKERS AND JOURNALIST AS STATES NAVIGATE AN INCREASINGLY MOBILE ECONOMY CHARACTERIZED BY A GREATER FOCUS ON TAX COMPETITIVENESS.
  5. $194,871 spent. TAX EDUCATION - TAXEDU IS DESIGNED AS A SIMPLIFIED RESOURCE TO ADVANCE TAX POLICY EDUCATION, DISCUSSION, AND UNDERSTANDING IN CLASSROOMS, LIVING ROOMS, AND GOVERNMENT CHAMBERS. TAXEDU GIVES TEACHERS THE TOOLS TO MAKE STUDENTS BETTER CITIZENS, TAXPAYERS A VOCABULARY TO SEE THROUGH THE RHETORIC, LAWMAKERS CRASH COURSES TO WRITE SMARTER LAWS, AND VIDEOS FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BOOST THEIR TAX KNOWLEDGE ON THE GO. IN 2025, TAXEDU RESOURCES REACHED MORE THAN 18,000 USERS, OUR PROGRAM LEADERS HAD SEVEN SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES, AND OUR EXPLAINER VIDEOS EXCEEDED 1.5 MILLION VIEWS. EDUCATION IS THE HEARTBEAT OF TAX FOUNDATION'S MISSION, AND TAXEDU IS FILLING A GAP THAT HAS LONG EXISTED IN CLASSROOMS, LIVING ROOMS, AND EVEN ONLINE DISCOURSE. TAX ILLITERACY IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. TAXEDU IS PROVING IT'S ONE WE CAN SOLVE.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since December 1990.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

  7. Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.

    A much larger organization has a similar name: The Foundation (Houston, TX), EIN 92-0742101. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.