Americans still have another week of work ahead of them before they’ve earned enough money to pay the tax man. Then they can focus on working to pay bills for food, clothing, housing, and other items. That’s the idea behind the Tax Foundation’s annual Tax Freedom Day. It arrives this year on April 24, nine days after the official tax filing deadline. The Tax Foundation’s Jared Walczak explains the significance of Tax Freedom Day and recent changes in the annual milestone. N.C. lawmakers looking for the best way to fund education programs should focus on student-based budgeting. That’s the recommendation from Reason Foundation education director Lisa Snell. Snell explains the concept and why it would lead to better outcomes for students, parents, and taxpayers. Now that she’s officially on the job, new University of North Carolina system president Margaret Spellings is setting out her top priorities. You’ll hear highlights from her first official presentation as president to the university’s Board of Governors. As N.C. legislators continue to look for ways to improve the state’s tax code, one option on the table is called market-based sourcing. You’ll hear a recent explanation of that option’s potential impact on North Carolina’s tax base, along with reasons some lawmakers believe market-based sourcing could help recruit new employers to the state. Both Democratic candidates for U.S. president are pushing for a new investment tax on so-called “carried interest.” Patrick Gleason, director of state affairs at Americans for Tax Reform, explains why that idea would mean bad news for investors, the state’s government retirees, and economic growth.