NPR

FACT CHECK: Does The U.S. Have The Highest Corporate Tax Rate In The World?

Yes, the U.S. does have the highest corporate tax rate ... but that doesn't mean businesses always pay it.
Despite the high U.S. corporate tax rate, deductions and credits help push down businesses' total tax liability, meaning that many companies end up paying far less than the statutory rate. / ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / Getty Images

Although virtually nothing is predictable in politics these days, here is one certainty: Americans — at least the ones watching the news — are about to hear a lot about corporate taxes.

More specifically, one claim will be made over and over again as Republicans ramp up to overhaul the tax code: The U.S. has the highest corporate tax rate in the world. President Trump in West Virginia, and House Speaker Paul Ryan mentions it

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min read
Big Sean: Tiny Desk Concert
The respected lyricist and hip-hop hitmaker comes to the Desk for one of the longest setlists in Tiny Desk history.
NPR9 min readWorld
Fractures In The Grand Alliance Between Black And Jewish Americans
The Grand Alliance between Black and Jewish leaders, known largely for shared work on Civil Rights in the 1960s, has a complicated legacy--and an uncertain future between these communities.
NPR2 min read
Milky Way Black Hole Has 'Strong, Twisted' Magnetic Field In Mesmerizing New Image
The polarized light image gives us a "new view of the monster lurking at the heart of the Milky Way galaxy," according to the European Southern Observatory.

Related Books & Audiobooks