Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

Arkansas

How the Revised Senate Tax Bill Would Affect Arkansas Residents’ Federal Taxes

November 14, 2017 • By ITEP Staff

The Senate tax bill released last week would raise taxes on some families while bestowing immense benefits on wealthy Americans and foreign investors. In Arkansas, 42 percent of the federal tax cuts would go to the richest 5 percent of residents, and 9 percent of households would face a tax increase, once the bill is fully implemented.

How the House Tax Proposal Would Affect Arkansas Residents’ Federal Taxes

November 6, 2017 • By ITEP Staff

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was introduced on November 2 in the House of Representatives, includes some provisions that raise taxes and some that cut taxes, so the net effect for any particular family’s federal tax bill depends on their situation. Some of the provisions that benefit the middle class — like lower tax rates, an increased standard deduction, and a $300 tax credit for each adult in a household — are designed to expire or become less generous over time. Some of the provisions that benefit the wealthy, such as the reduction and eventual repeal of the estate…

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State Rundown 10/13: Soda Taxes, Business Subsidies, and Gas Taxes Considered in Several States

October 13, 2017 • By ITEP Staff

A comprehensive tax study is underway in Arkansas this week as other states hone in on more specific issues. Soda taxes hit setbacks in Illinois and Michigan, business tax subsidies faced scrutiny in Iowa and Missouri, and gas tax update efforts are underway in Mississippi and North Dakota.

GOP-Trump Tax Framework Would Provide Richest One Percent in Arkansas with 58.8 Percent of the State’s Tax Cuts

October 4, 2017 • By ITEP Staff

The “tax reform framework” released by the Trump administration and congressional Republican leaders on September 27 would not benefit everyone in Arkansas equally. The richest one percent of Arkansas residents would receive 58.8 percent of the tax cuts within the state under the framework in 2018. These households are projected to have an income of at least $490,000 next year. The framework would provide them an average tax cut of $51,370 in 2018, which would increase their income by an average of 3.8 percent.

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Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families: The Trump Tax Plan: What Would It Mean for Arkansas?

September 5, 2017 • By ITEP Staff

Who benefits and who loses under the Trump tax plan? An analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) estimates that Arkansas would fare worse under the plan compared to other states. Relative to our share of the U.S. population, we would be one of the 12 states receiving the lowest share of the total Trump tax cut.

In Arkansas 40.0 Percent of Trump’s Proposed Tax Cuts Go to People Making More than $1 Million

August 17, 2017 • By ITEP Staff

A tiny fraction of the Arkansas population (0.3 percent) earns more than $1 million annually. But this elite group would receive 40.0 percent of the tax cuts that go to Arkansas residents under the tax proposals from the Trump administration. A much larger group, 53.2 percent of the state, earns less than $45,000, but would receive just 7.1 percent of the tax cuts.

Trump Tax Proposals Would Provide Richest One Percent in Arkansas with 49.5 Percent of the State’s Tax Cuts

July 20, 2017 • By ITEP Staff

Earlier this year, the Trump administration released some broadly outlined proposals to overhaul the federal tax code. Households in Arkansas would not benefit equally from these proposals. The richest one percent of the state’s taxpayers are projected to make an average income of $1,340,600 in 2018. They would receive 49.5 percent of the tax cuts that go to Arkansas’s residents and would enjoy an average cut of $80,800 in 2018 alone.

ITEP Work in Action  

Gov. Hutchinson’s low-income tax plan: A good start, but needs work

January 25, 2017 • By ITEP Staff

Governor Asa Hutchinson’s new tax cut proposal includes a break, at long last, for some of the lowest income working families in our state. The bones of this plan are good – it isn’t too expensive, and it includes a portion of the families making less than $21,000 a year who were left out of […]

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Statement on Governor Hutchinson’s Low-Income Tax Plan

January 25, 2017 • By ITEP Staff

The following is a statement from Rich Huddleston, executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families: Read more here

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Akransas Advocates for Children & Families: 6 ways to make 2017 more prosperous for all Arkansans

January 11, 2017 • By ITEP Staff

Legislators have just kicked off the 2017 legislative session, and ideas for big changes are buzzing around the Capitol. AACF will be on the ground advocating for bills that are best for kids and families in our state. In order to make Arkansas a better place for all of us, AACF hopes that this year: […]

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Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families: Problems down the road with governor’s highway plan

January 9, 2017 • By ITEP Staff

“The governor wants to get through the first year by spending down some of the rainy day fund and using part of reamining surplus funds. As far as short term solutions, it could be a lot worse. But big problems with the Governor’s plan show up in year two and beyond. The plan leaves a […]

ITEP Work in Action  

Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families: Changing how we tax capital gains

February 2, 2015 • By ITEP Staff

A relatively small number of wealthy Arkansans who make money from the sale of investments reaped the benefits from the capital gains tax cuts passed in 2013. These expensive tax cuts, however, are likely to be scaled back. Today the House Committee approved a version of Governor Hutchinson’s middle-income tax cut that reduces, instead of […]

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Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families: Governor’s tax plan leaves out poorest Arkansans

February 2, 2015 • By ITEP Staff

The governor’s new tax cut plan is a step in the right direction for tax fairness, but leaves out the poorest 20 percent of Arkansans and raises concerns about how the lost revenue will impact vital programs for children and families. Despite tax breaks targeted to the middle class, and even a hike for the […]

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Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families: Arkansas ranks 11th in tax burden on poor

January 16, 2015 • By ITEP Staff

Arkansas ranks eleventh in the nation when it comes to taxing the poor. The poorest Arkansans, those making under $9,600 per year, pay two times more in taxes as a percentage of their income than wealthy Arkansans who make over $209,800 per year. A new study released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic […]

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Arkansas Times: The poor hit harder by local taxes; bottom 40 percent left out in Asa tax cut

January 16, 2015 • By ITEP Staff

You can go to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy for Arkansas-specific information. Arkansas does not make the “terrible ten” most regressive states, where the bottom 20 percent pay almost seven times the percentage of their incomes in taxes as the wealthy. But it doesn’t perform very well. See graphic below. Note that the […]

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KNWA: Arkansas Receives Negative Mark On Taxing Residents

January 16, 2015 • By ITEP Staff

“A new study released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) puts Arkansas among the most unfair tax systems in the country. According to the study, Arkansas’s tax system is unfair, or regressive, because the lower someone’s income, the higher their tax rate. This is in part because Arkansas, like most other […]

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Arkansas Matters: AR Ranks 11th Nationally for Tax Burden on Poor

January 16, 2015 • By ITEP Staff

“Arkansas ranks eleventh in the nation when it comes to taxing the poor. The poorest Arkansans, those making under $9,600 per year, pay two times more in taxes as a percentage of their income than wealthy Arkansans who make over $209,800 per year. A new study released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic […]

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Ozark’s First: Arkansas Receives Negative Mark On Taxing Residents

January 15, 2015 • By ITEP Staff

“A new study released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) puts Arkansas among the most unfair tax systems in the country. According to the study, Arkansas’s tax system is unfair, or regressive, because the lower someone’s income, the higher their tax rate. This is in part because Arkansas, like most other […]

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The Motley Fool: The 5 States with the Highest Sales Tax

August 20, 2014 • By ITEP Staff

By Jeremy Bowman: Nearly every state in the union charges a sales tax, and the tax levied on goods and services sold at the retail level is just one of many tools states use to collect revenue, along with licensing and taxes on income, corporations, and property. Sales taxes tend to attract less attention than […]

ITEP Work in Action  

Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families: Arkansas tax system should do more for working families

October 22, 2013 • By ITEP Staff

According to a new report from Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF), tax changes passed during the 2013 session con­sisted largely of personal income tax cuts benefiting upper-income taxpayers and sales and use tax cuts targeted to specific industry groups. “A Better Foundation: Building a tax system that works for Arkansas families” makes the […]

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Public News Service: Supporters say Immigration Reform Would Boost Ark. Economy & Tax Revenue

July 12, 2013 • By ITEP Staff

(Original Post) LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Supporters of immigration reform say it would not only help the Arkansas economy, it would also bring in millions more in state and local taxes. According to the non-partisan, non-profit Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, Arkansas already collects more than $70 million a year from undocumented immigrants, and […]

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UALR: Immigration Reform Could Boost Arkansas Revenues

July 11, 2013 • By ITEP Staff

(Original Post) By MALCOLM GLOVER A recent analysis by a liberal-leaning think tank estimates that undocumented immigrants pay $72.4 million a year in state and local taxes in Arkansas. Supporters of immigration reform efforts in the U.S. hold a rally in Washington, D.C. and urge Congress to pass legislation. The report from the Institute on […]

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Arkansas Times: Immigration reform would be good for the economy

July 10, 2013 • By ITEP Staff

Original Post July 10, 2013by Max Brantley Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families cites the benefits of immigration reform that would legalize more of the people already at work and building families in the U.S. With fiscal costs and benefits figuring large in the immigration reform debate, a new analysis estimates that undocumented immigrants are […]

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Arkansas Times Record: Arkansas Legislature: Bill To Cut State Income Tax Advances

April 2, 2013 • By ITEP Staff

(Original Post) 2:07 pm – March 26, 2013 — Updated: 12:14 am – March 27, 2013 By John Lyon Arkansas News Bureau [email protected] LITTLE ROCK — A proposed $57 million state income tax cut cleared a House panel Tuesday. House Bill 1585 by Rep. Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, received a “do pass” recommendation from the House […]

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Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families: Benefits of HB 1585 go mostly to wealthy

March 27, 2013 • By ITEP Staff

According to an analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), House Bill 1585 would target personal income tax relief to Arkansas taxpayers who make over $155,000 per year (the top five percent of earners). This group would receive one-half (50 percent) of the total benefits resulting from the tax cut. That’s compared […]