“Fixing” the Texas Margin Tax

October 30, 2012

The Honorable Chuck DeVore

Chuck DeVore is the vice president of national initiatives at the Foundation. He writes about the economy and how energy, tax and regulatory policies influence general prosperity, and he frequently appears on Fox News. He also guides the Foundation’s growing national work in criminal justice reform. He authored the book The Texas Model: Prosperity in the Lone Star State and Lessons for America.

James Quintero

@JamesQuinteroTX

James Quintero is the policy director for the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Government for the People campaign. Since joining the Foundation in 2008, Quintero has focused extensively on: state & local government spending, taxes, debt, public pension reform, annexation, and local regulations.

The Honorable Talmadge Heflin

Texas’ franchise tax was expanded in 2008. With four years’ experience in collecting what is referred to as the “margin” tax, it is clear that abolishing the margin tax is the right “fix” for Texas.

View Full Publication

Governing Blind: The Fiscal and Operational Impact of Immigration on Texas Public Systems

Governing Blind: The Fiscal and Operational Impact of Immigration on Texas Public Systems Written by Selene Rodriguez Download the full paper here. Key Points Texas operates at the intersection of federal immigration policy and the day-to-day realities of sustaining its public systems, bearing substantial costs driven by national mandates. This is very evident in education...

October 29, 2026

K-12 Education

Houston’s Fat Cat Superintendents: The Hidden Benefits How Some of Texas’s Highest-Paid Public Employees Are Systematically Underreporting Their Compensation

Exorbitant and hidden superintendent pay reflects a culture of self-enrichment that has no place in Texas public schools, diverts taxpayer dollars from students, and betrays the public trust. Key points: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) understates the total compensation for some of Texas’s highest-paid superintendents. Though they oversee fewer people, many superintendents have drawn a...

October 29, 2026

Local Government

Exploring The Texas Housing Market: Conditions, Constraints and Capacity for Development

Texas’s housing market is challenged by supply-side constraints, rooted in restrictive zoning, large-lot mandates, escalating regulatory fees, and runaway property taxation. Key Points: Texas’s housing affordability crisis is supply-driven: a 306,000-home shortfall, falling permits, and a $321,000 median price reflect regulatory barriers blocking construction needed to meet population growth. Government regulation accounts for 23.8% of...

October 28, 2026