Jan 20, 2026
Net donors states
The most recent multi-source analyses identify roughly 19 donor states—states that send more in federal taxes than they receive in federal spending—though counts and rankings vary by methodology and y...
Federal Taxation
The system of taxation in the US where states contribute to the federal government through income and payroll taxes.
Fact-Checks
3 resultsJan 18, 2026
Which constitutional objections did opponents cite during House and Senate debates over the 16th Amendment
Opponents of the Sixteenth Amendment chiefly argued that it would upend the Constitution’s constraints on federal taxation—especially the apportionment rule for “direct” taxes—and would expand nationa...
Jan 9, 2026
What are the legal implications of a US state refusing to contribute to the federal government?
A state cannot lawfully opt out of the federal tax-and-spending system without confronting the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, settled judicial interpretations that reject refusal-to-pay arguments, a...