Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP)

Cato Institute: Immigrants’ Recent Effects on Government Budgets: 1994–2023

February 3, 2026

Our analysis in this paper shows that immigrants generated a fiscal surplus of about $14.5 trillion from 1994 to 2023, that the average immigrant is much less costly than the average US-born American, and that immigrants impose lower costs per person on old-age benefit, education, and public safety programs. Read more.

Trust Reform is Needed to Protect States, Especially in the Wake of IRS Enforcement Cuts

Trust use is widespread among the wealthiest households, with reports showing that roughly half of the nation’s wealthiest people rely on trusts for tax avoidance reasons

Associated Press: Trump’s $10 Billion Lawsuit Against the IRS Raises Conflict of Interest Concerns

February 3, 2026

Legal experts say President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax information raises a plethora of legal and ethical questions, including the propriety of the leader of the executive branch pursuing scorched-earth litigation against the very government he is in charge of. Read more.

Testimony: ITEP’s Brakeyshia Samms Explains How Property Tax Circuit Breakers Could Help Evanston, Illinois

February 2, 2026

The prepared testimony below was delivered by ITEP Senior Analyst Brakeyshia Samms to the Illinois Committee on Housing and Community on January 20, 2026.

State Rundown 1/28: State Tax Cutting Plans Face Scrutiny

As state legislative sessions ramp up across the country, property taxes are one of many issues dominating tax policy conversations in statehouses.

Intuit Helped Limit Americans’ Tax Filing Options While Raking in Millions in Tax Breaks

As tax filing season begins, families have fewer options than last year, thanks to the heavy lobbying efforts of big tax-preparation corporations like Intuit (the parent company of TurboTax).

Wall Street Journal: Companies Reveal Big Mystery: Where They Pay Taxes and How Much

January 28, 2026

Netflix and Intel are some of the first to comply with a new accounting rule that requires more details about corporate tax payments. Read more.

Washington Post: How to Claim Tax Breaks on Overtime, Tips, and More This Filing Season

January 27, 2026

Many taxpayers stand to collect larger refunds this year from the IRS, whether they itemize or not. Read more.

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center: Proposed Income Tax Cuts in Massachusetts Would Benefit Households with Highest Incomes and Force Deep Public Cuts

January 27, 2026

The proposed ballot question to cut the Massachusetts state income tax would not just force deep cuts to investment in public programs and infrastructure. Its benefits are also highly skewed towards households with the highest incomes. Read more.  

CNBC: Social Security Benefits Are Still Taxed in Some States. Why There’s a Push to Change That.

January 27, 2026

There’s a push to end taxes on Social Security benefits to help retirees keep more money in their pockets. Read more.

How the Wealthy Exploit the Tax Code: Q&A with Professor Ray Madoff, Author of ‘The Second Estate’

Her timely book, The Second Estate: How the Tax Code Made an American Aristocracy, walks readers through federal tax policy history and the modern-day legal maneuvers the wealthy use to pay little to no taxes

State Rundown 1/22: Cautious Tone Noticeable in Most Statehouses

Most states are adopting a very cautious approach so far this year as legislators begin their sessions and governors make their annual addresses, thanks to ongoing economic uncertainty and federal retrenchment.

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States Can Push Back Against Reckless Federal Tax Policy. Here’s How.

January 22, 2026 • By Aidan Davis, Wesley Tharpe

States Can Push Back Against Reckless Federal Tax Policy. Here’s How.

They should take steps to protect and boost their own revenues. And they should take a second look at their own tax cuts.

Local Governments Are Increasingly Strapped: 2026 Will Bring New Challenges and New Opportunities

2025 saw an intensification of state and local tax fights across the country, as well as growing experimentation with local-option taxes, levies, fees, and tourism taxes aimed at keeping budgets afloat while also navigating political constraints imposed by state legislatures.

North Carolina Department of Commerce: The Hidden Cost of Child Care Gaps in North Carolina’s Economy

January 20, 2026

Lack of access to affordable, high-quality child care is a barrier to labor force participation for working parents in North Carolina and affects our state’s economy. Read more.

Time: Americans Are Paying for Trump’s Tariffs, Study Finds

January 20, 2026

This corroborates findings from other think tanks and institutes that have tracked corporate activity since the tariffs dropped. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), in disclosures at the end of 2025, “industry executives have publicly told investors they are protecting profits by passing the costs of tariffs on to consumers.” Read more.

Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies: State of the Dream 2026: From Regression to Signs of a Black Recession

January 20, 2026

State of the Dream 2026: From Regression to Signs of a Black Recession is the product of a collaborative effort drawing on the expertise of Joint Center staff, fellows, and trusted external partners. Contributors include colleagues from United for a Fair Economy, the Center for Economic Policy Research, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, and the Onyx […]

New Jersey Policy Perspective: Five Budget Time Bombs Facing the Next Governor

January 16, 2026

Without sustainable and equitable revenue sources, incoming governor Mikie Sherrill is inheriting a state budget full of fiscal threats. Read more.

State Rundown 1/14: New Year Brings New Resolutions for Funding Key Priorities

State governors are beginning to lay out their top priorities as legislatures reconvene in statehouses around the country.

Education Week: Schools Brace for Mid-Year Cuts as ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Changes Begin

January 14, 2026

The statewide specter of these unusual cuts marks one of the first tangible ripple effects for K-12 schools nationwide from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, approved by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump last July. Read more.

MarketWatch: Tax the Rich in ’26? These 3 Crucial Questions about Wealth Taxes Could Be Answered This Year

January 12, 2026

A new year has unleashed a new round of debate on how much more money America’s super-rich should be paying in taxes. Read more.

Curbing Tax Deductions for Executive Pay is a Federal Tax Change States Should Get Behind

This provision in last summer’s tax law could actually make budget-balancing a little bit easier for states if they follow suit.

Associated Press: Georgia Republicans Move to Scrap State Income Tax by 2032 Despite Concerns

January 8, 2026

Eliminating state income taxes sounds great to many voters, but Republicans backing the push in multiple states still face questions about whether such big tax cuts can be made without raising other taxes or sharply cutting state funding for education, health care and other services. Read more.

State Rundown 1/7: New Year, New Opportunities for Progressive Revenue

As we kick off a new year, several states are facing revenue shortfalls. Some lawmakers are approaching the challenge with sustainable and equitable solutions.

Washington Governor’s Office: Governor Ferguson Announces Support for Millionaires’ Tax

January 6, 2026

Washington ranks next to last for fairness and equality in our tax system — meaning those who make the least pay much larger shares of their income than those with the most resources. Washington families whose income is in the bottom 20% pay 13.8% of their total income in taxes, while those whose income is […]