How States Can Help Small Businesses Recover From the COVID-19 Pandemic

States faced complex challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. To help them navigate those difficulties, experts from The Pew Charitable Trusts presented to the National Conference of State Legislators on three high-level tax incentive practices that could support positive economic outcomes:

• States should design incentives in ways that reduce fiscal risk.
• Policymakers should use evaluations to inform decision-making.
• Policymakers should plan to revisit recession response programs for continued relevancy and effectiveness.