Federalist No. 30

Federalist No. 30, titled "Concerning the General Power of Taxation", is a political essay by Alexander Hamilton and the thirtieth of The Federalist Papers. It was first published in the New-York Packet on December 28, 1787, as the twenty-ninth entry in the series under the pseudonym used for all Federalist Papers, Publius. The essay argued that the national government must have broad powers of taxation to provide for national defense and the public good. It revisited ideas that were first raised in No. 12, and the series continued on the subject of taxation through No. 36.

Federalist No. 30 criticized the system of taxation under the Articles of Confederation, which required the states to levy taxes and provide funding for the national government. Hamilton argued that the national government must be able to levy taxes because there are always further needs for government funding and it would need the power to acquire additional funds in times of war. He said that the power of taxation was necessary for the nation to maintain good credit and prove it could pay its debts, otherwise it would be unable to obtain wartime funds through loans.