Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

ITEP's Research Priorities

Politico: Morning Tax 1/14/2015

January 16, 2015

“The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy published a study showing that lower-income Americans will be hit the hardest by state and local taxes, paying 10.9 percent of their income compared to the 5.4 percent on income that the top 1 percent pay.” Read more

WDRB: Middle-income earners shoulder highest tax burden in Kentucky

January 16, 2015

“Kentucky families earning $30,000 to $50,000 a year pay the highest share of their incomes in state and local taxes — 10.8 percent — while families earning $330,000 or more pay only 6 percent, according to an analysis by two organizations that favor progressive policies. Kentucky’s tax policies are far from the nation’s most “regressive” […]

WYSO: In Ohio, Poor People Pay More Of Their Incomes In Taxes Than Rich People

January 16, 2015

“A national report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy ranks Ohio 18th in the country for most imbalanced tax systems. In a “regressive” tax system, low- and middle-income people pay a larger balance of their incomes in state and local taxes than high earners. The study finds very few states with “progressive” tax […]

The Idaho Statesman: Idaho taxes fall most heavily on the poor

January 16, 2015

“Idaho’s poor families pay more of their money in taxes than rich families, a report released Wednesday by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found. “Like in every state, low-income families in Idaho are having to devote more of their household budgets to pay state and local taxes compared to their wealthier neighbors,” senior […]

The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio tax gap among worst

January 16, 2015

“The situation here is worse than in most states, according to the analysis of 2012 income data by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, which ranked states based on how state and local taxes affect low- and middle-income families compared with the richest 1 percent. The study, which covered tax changes in the states […]

The Wichita Eagle: Brownback will try to raise taxes to fill budget hole, but whose taxes?

January 16, 2015

“A study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy released this month concluded that households making less than $20,000 in Kansas would spend 11.1 percent of their income paying state and local taxes in 2015 primarily due to the state’s reliance on sales tax. On the other hand, households making more than $177,000 are […]

The Stranger: National Study Confirms: “Washington State Has, by Far, the US’s Most Regressive State Tax System.”

January 16, 2015

A new national study from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy confirms that Washington State’s “morally bankrupt” tax system remains the worst in the nation when it comes to unfairly taxing the poor. “Washington state has, by far, the US’s most regressive state tax system, taxing the poorest residents at 16.8 percent while taxing […]

Courier-Post: Lawmakers still confident transportation solution near

January 16, 2015

“Eight states increased their gas taxes last year, including five that added automatic adjustments to keep pace with inflation or fuel prices, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.” Read more

The New Orleans Advocate: La.’s poor pay higher share in taxes, study shows

January 16, 2015

“Louisiana families with incomes below $32,000 per year — about 40 percent of the households — pay an average 10 percent rate in state and local taxes, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a Washington, D.C.-based group that researches the impact of tax policies. The state’s top 1 percent — families with […]

The Economist Populist: The Poor Pay More in Taxes

January 16, 2015

“According to a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, in nearly every state, low- and middle-income families pay a bigger share of their income in state and local taxes than wealthy families. Patricia Cohen wrote in her very detailed and comprehensive article at the New York Times: “When it comes to […]

The Scranton Times-Tribune: State tax policy averts fairness

January 16, 2015

“As legislative leaders in Harrisburg refuse to implement a tax on Marcellus Shale gas extraction and to close tax loopholes for wealthy interests, a new study reveals the consequences of such policy. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan think tank, has conducted an analysis of all 50 states and found that Pennsylvania’s […]

New Hampshire Voice: Poor families pay bigger share of their income in taxes than wealthy families

January 16, 2015

“The analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy that evaluates the local tax burden in every state concluded that when it comes to paying taxes, the people who earn less pay more. In simple terms the low-and middle-income families’ in each state spend more money on state and local taxes than wealthy people. […]

Times of Trenton: Hits and Misses

January 16, 2015

“The poorest 20 percent of New Jersey households pay 10.7 percent of their income in state taxes while the richest 1 percent pay 7.1 percent according to the Washington-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.” Read more

The Patriot-News: Pennsylvania’s taxes are regressive; is that fair? The Numbers Racket

January 16, 2015

“You will be shocked – shocked! – to learn that in Pennsylvania, state and local taxes are a much heavier burden on the poor and middle class than they are on the wealthiest residents. The poorest fifth of non-elderly Pennsylvania families pay 12 percent of their income in state and local taxes, according to The […]

CNN Money: States where taxes hit the poor hardest

January 16, 2015

“Residents who make the least amount of money pay about 17% of their income in state and local taxes, according to a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Meanwhile, Washington’s highest earners cough up just 2.4% of their income for such taxes. The high tax rate on the poor, coupled with […]

The Washington Post: Best state: Delaware, for tax fairness

January 16, 2015

“Every state tax system soaks the poor proportionally more than it does the rich, according to a report released Wednesday by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). On average, the report found, the bottom 20 percent of earners give up about twice as large a share of their incomes in state and local […]

Crosscut: Washington taxes: We’re No. 1 (in abusing the poor)

January 16, 2015

“The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy released a new study today showing that Washington State’s tax system weighs heaviest on the poor. The non-profit Washington State Budget & Policy Center broke down the ITEP’s report, saying, “Washington state has, by far, the U.S.’s most regressive state tax system, taxing the poorest residents at 16.8 […]

Sun Sentinel: Florida’s taxes weigh heaviest on poor, study says

January 16, 2015

“Individuals and families at the bottom fifth in income in Florida pay 13 percent of their income in state and local taxes, while the state’s top 1 percent pay only 2 percent, said the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. The institute studies tax issues in an […]

The Week: Regressive local and state taxes hit the poorest the harder

January 15, 2015

“A new study from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy indicates that the tax burden imposed by local and state governments is frequently regressive, taking a larger proportion of income from poorer people. While the exact figures vary considerably by state, the average person in the lowest quintile of income earners loses 10.9 percent […]

The Progress Pulse: North Carolina’s unfair tax system highlighted in new report

January 15, 2015

“The latest Who Pays? report released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) takes a look at the fairness of state tax systems. For North Carolina, the lowest income North Carolinians pay over 70 percent more in state and local taxes as a share of their income compared to the state’s wealthiest […]

Public Radio Tulsa: Oklahoma Tax System Called “Unfair”

January 15, 2015

“Results from a new study claim Oklahoma’s tax system is unfair to the great majority of its’ citizens. The report, from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, finds low and middle-income Oklahomans pay over two times more in taxes as a percentage of income than the wealthiest residents. Gene Perry is with the Oklahoma […]

The Oregonian: Novick’s new street tax may be as good as it gets

January 15, 2015

“State taxes are another matter. Anyone who has attended a Revenue Committee meeting in Salem knows how carefully lawmakers examine the “distributional effects” of statewide taxes. Oregon’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a good example of what can come from such scrutiny; it not only rewards work but helps to remediate the property taxes […]

CNBC: Do the wealthy pay lower taxes than the middle class?

January 15, 2015

“A new study finding an “unfair,” rich-poor balance in state and local taxes has been getting big traction on the Web this week. The study, from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, found that “virtually every state’s tax system is fundamentally unfair, taking a much greater share of income from low- and middle-income families […]

New Jersey News Room: New Jersey’s Upside-Down Tax System: The Lower Your Income, The More You Pay

January 15, 2015

“Low-income and middle-class New Jerseyans pay more of their incomes to state and local taxes than wealthy residents, according to a new study released by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP). The study, Who Pays?, analyzes tax systems in all 50 states and factors in all major […]

Morgan County USA: Low and Middle Income West Virginians Pay Higher Tax Rate than Richest West Virginians

January 15, 2015

“A new study released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy finds that the low- and middle-income West Virginians pay more in state and local taxes as a percent of their income compared to the state’s wealthiest residents. The study, Who Pays?, analyzes […]