Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

ITEP's Research Priorities

North Carolina Justice Center: Profiles in corporate tax avoidance- Duke Energy

April 12, 2013

Duke Energy at a glance Largest electric power holding company in the U.S.; serves vast majority of NC electric consumers Assets: $114 billion 2012 Profits: $1.792 billion Net 2012 tax rate: -2.6% (rebate of $46 million) 2008-12 profits combine: $9.1 billion Net 2008-12 tax rate: -3.3% ($299 million in total rebates) Read the Full Report

North Carolina Justice Center: Profiles in corporate tax avoidance- Merck

April 12, 2013

Merck & Co. at a glance One of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world; key player in global vaccine production and distribution. 2012 Sales: $14 billion 2012 Assets: Total assets of the Merck Group—$28.3 billion Total Profits 2008-12: $19.6 billion Profits held offshore: $53.4 billion as of 2012 ($22.2 billion added betweem 2008 and […]

California Budget Project: Who Pays Taxes In California?

April 12, 2013

Former Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once noted that “Taxes are what we pay for civilized society.” State and local taxes support our public schools, colleges, and universities; streets and highways; public hospitals that form the backbone of the state’s trauma care system; parks and beaches; the public health infrastructure that ensures that our […]

The Commonwealth Institute: Destination Unknown

April 12, 2013

Navigating Virginia’s New Transportation Funding Package – and Potential Potholes The final transportation package passed by the General Assembly raises a lot of money for our roads, bridges and mass transit– but it creates some problems, too. The final legislation (HB2313) makes far-reaching changes in the way transportation is funded in Virginia. Among the key […]

Policy Matters Ohio: Sales-tax credit would help low-income Ohioans

April 8, 2013

Gov. John Kasich’s proposal to broaden the sales tax may not survive, or it could be scaled back. Legislators should consider a sales-tax credit anyway, because the existing sales tax helps slant our current state and local tax system against low- and moderate-income taxpayers. Read the Full Report

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Indiana Senate’s Income Tax Cut: Just as Lopsided as the Governor’s

April 8, 2013 • By Carl Davis

The Indiana Senate Appropriations Committee recently approved a budget cutting the state's personal income tax rate from 3.4 percent to 3.3 percent beginning in 2015. Although this proposal costs less than one-third the amount of Governor Pence's preferred cut (which would take the rate down to 3.06 percent), it would still reduce state revenues by roughly $150 million each year.

North Carolina Justice Center: First Comprehensive Tax Legislation Would Not Protect Low- and Middle-Income Taxpayers from Tax Increases

April 3, 2013

80 percent of taxpayers would see slightly higher taxes under the first comprehensive tax legislation introduced this legislative session, while the top 1 percent of earners would get a tax cut. The proposal threatens to erode resources for schools, health care and other services North Carolina needs to be economically competitive. The proposal (Senate Bill […]

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Kansas House and Senate Proposals Set the Stage for Tax Hikes on Poor and Middle-Income Families

April 2, 2013 • By Meg Wiehe

Earlier this year, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback proposed another round of personal income tax cuts (on top of those he signed into law last year).1 The House and Senate each responded with their own tax cut plans and are expected to reconcile their differences this week. To date, much attention has been given to the major difference between the House and Senate plans -- the Senate bill includes permanently preserving a sales tax rate hike that was set to expire this summer while the House plan would allow the rate hike to expire. However, the long term impact of either…

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Governor Jindal’s Tax Plan Would Increase Taxes on Poorest 60 Percent of Louisianans

April 1, 2013 • By Meg Wiehe

In recent weeks, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has released many details of the tax plan he first sketched out in January. The Governor proposes a revenue-neutral "tax swap" that would repeal all state income taxes and increase the state's sales tax among other changes. A new ITEP analysis of the Governor's plan shows that, if fully implemented in 2013, the plan would increase taxes on the poorest sixty percent of Louisianans overall, while providing large tax cuts for the best-off Louisiana taxpayers.

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

March 27, 2013

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 […]

North Carolina Jusice Center: North Carolina’s Business Tax Deduction – Who Benefits?

March 27, 2013

In the 2011 budget, the North Carolina General Assembly created a deduction for the first $50,000 in non-passive income for businesses filing through the personal income tax. Proponents of the temporary tax break intended it to provide tax relief to small businesses and support job creation. However, in recent months there has been considerable debate […]

Public Assets Institute: Vermont Has Options to Raise Revenue for Smart Investments

March 20, 2013

Gov. Peter Shumlin has the right idea when he says we should invest in expanding the availability of child care for working Vermonters. However, it just doesn’t make sense to take money from low-wage working families to pay for this initiative. Other changes to Vermont’s income tax code could produce about as much revenue as […]

Utah Foundation: Fueling Our Future, 2013-2040

March 20, 2013

Policy Options to Address Utah’s Future Transportation Needs Funding Utah’s transportation needs is a significant economic and fiscal challenge for state policymakers. Over the next three decades, Utah’s population is set to increase by over 60% from 2.8 million to 4.5 million.1 Coupled with this signifi cant growth is the possibility of an increase in […]

Louisiana Budget Project: Eliminating Louisiana’s Income Taxes Will Hurt the State’s Economy

March 19, 2013

Gov. Bobby Jindal’s plan to abolish Louisiana’s income taxes is based on a flawed economic analysis and is likely to hurt the state’s economy rather than boost it, according to a new report by the Louisiana Budget Project. Read the Full Report

Policy Matters Ohio: Small Investment, Big Difference

March 15, 2013

If Ohio is going to broaden the tax base, the state should adopt a state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), as 25 states (including the District of Columbia) have done. It is good policy at any time, especially when legislators are considering raising taxes on those least able to pay. An EITC not only helps […]

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center: Effects of Raising Rates and Exemptions on the State Income Tax

March 12, 2013

This Facts At A Glance updates MassBudget’s analysis of a reform option that would make changes to the way the Commonwealth taxes wage and salary income as well as investment income. The Department of Revenue (DOR) recently examined this reform option and estimated that the proposal’s combined changes would generate between $1.99 billion and $2.11 […]

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center: Examining Tax Fairness

March 12, 2013

Taxes are the primary way we pay for the things that we do together through government. These include things like police and fire protection; public education; roads, bridges and public transportation; a safety net for when people face hard times; and more. Determining how much people at different income levels pay in taxes is important […]

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center: Possible Reforms to the Governor’s Tax Plan

March 12, 2013

In his FY 2014 budget, the Governor proposes making significant new investments in education and transportation, as well as limiting cuts to other program areas. He proposes paying for these investments with a tax increase, one that would raise an estimated $1.9 billion in new, annual revenue and would do so in a progressive manner […]

Missouri Budget Project: Racing to the Bottom

March 12, 2013

Senate Gives Initial Approval to Extreme Tax Cut Bill Which Would Devastate Missouri Services, Infrastructure, and the State’s Economy An extreme tax cut proposal, perfected this week by the Missouri Senate would slash Missouri’s general revenue budget by nearly $1 billion when fully implemented, resulting in devastating cuts to services throughout the state. Further, the […]

Missouri Budget Project: Senate Ways & Means Tax Cut Would Devastate Services, Infrastructure, and Economy

March 1, 2013

An extreme tax cut proposal approved by a Senate Committee this week would slash MO’s general revenue by more than one-fifth, resulting in devastating cuts to services throughout the state and undermining Missouri’s ability to invest in the very services that make it attractive to business. MBP’s latest report outlines the bill and its impact […]

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States with “High Rate” Income Taxes are Still Outperforming No-Tax States

February 28, 2013 • By Carl Davis

Lawmakers in about a dozen states are giving serious consideration to either cutting or eliminating their state personal income taxes. In each case, these proposals are being touted as a way to boost economic growth.

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Laffer’s New Job Growth Factoid is All Rhetoric and No Substance

February 27, 2013 • By Carl Davis

A new talking point printed on the opinion page of The Wall Street Journal is proving irresistible to state lawmakers looking for an excuse to reduce or eliminate their states' income taxes: A new analysis by economist Art Laffer for the American Legislative Exchange Council finds that, from 2002 to 2012, 62% of the three million net new jobs in America were created in the nine states without an income tax, though these states account for only about 20% of the national population.

Oklahoma Policy Institute: What’s unaffordable?

February 26, 2013

The Governor’s assertion that extending Medicaid is unaffordable to Oklahoma is unconvincing in at least two respects. First, the study on which she bases her cost estimates makes clear that extending Medicaid would have a very modest fiscal cost to the state and would bring in over twelve new federal dollars for every additional dollar […]

The Commonwealth Institute: Senate’s Version of HB2313 Still Lacks Offsetting Relief Measures

February 21, 2013

While the Senate’s version of Governor McDonnell’s transportation bill looks very different from the bill passed by the House – and it is – the two versions have one major problem in common: they rely on regressive tax increases that will have low-income Virginians paying a greater share of their income towards funding transportation. As […]

Oklahoma Policy Institute: Governor Fallin’s tax cut would do little to nothing for the average Oklahoman

February 19, 2013

In her State of the State address, Governor Fallin unveiled yet another proposal to cut Oklahoma’s income tax. Her plan is drastically scaled back from last year’s proposal, which attempted to stretch out Oklahoma’s tax brackets, cut the top rate in half, and eliminate dozen of tax credits, exemptions, and deductions. This year, the Governor […]