Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

ITEP's Research Priorities

KRWG: New Mexico Among States With Most Unfair Tax Systems

January 15, 2015

“A new study released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) ranks New Mexico 17th in the nation in terms of having an unfair state and local tax system. This means that 33 states have tax systems that are considered more equitable than ours. The study, Who Pays?, analyzes tax systems in […]

Minnesota Radio: Minnesota among highest-ranked states for tax ‘fairness’

January 15, 2015

“Minnesota has one of the least regressive tax structures in the country, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, which has released a study of individual state’s tax policies to determine whether middle- and lower-income residents are shouldering more of the burden. For the record, Minnesota’s tax system isn’t fair. But neither is […]

Business Record: Low- to middle-income families shoulder greater tax burdens than wealthy ones

January 15, 2015

“The latest “Who Pays” report by the Washington-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy shows that the effect of sales taxes and property taxes on lower-income households tilts Iowa’s overall tax system so the poorest pay the highest percentage in taxes. “Iowa lawmakers for years have compounded inequities in Iowa’s overall tax system with their […]

WPRO: Low-income Rhode Islanders share an unfair portion of the tax burden

January 15, 2015

“Rhode Island now ranks as one of the top states for placing a large tax burden on the poor, according to the Economic Progress Institute. In a joint study, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy and the Economic Progress Institute states that Rhode Island ranks fifth worst in the nation due to collecting 12.5% […]

Newsmax: The Less You Earn, the More Your Taxes Are

January 15, 2015

“The more you earn, the less in local taxes you pay, a new analysis shows, and several states are considering policies to lighten wealthy residents’ tax burden even more. “Virtually every state’s tax system is fundamentally unfair,” the study, completed by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy says, according to The New York Times.” […]

Time: You’ll Never Guess Which State Has the Nation’s Most Unfair Taxes

January 15, 2015

“When you think of states that hurt the poor and benefit the rich, ultra-progressive Washington state probably doesn’t spring to mind. And yet, according to a new analysis, Washington’s tax system is the most regressive in the nation, placing a disproportionate burden on those with the lowest incomes. The study, published by the nonpartisan Institute […]

Portsmouth Daily Times: DeWine warns against HHS taxing

January 15, 2015

“According to a national report, the fifth edition of “Who Pays? A Distributional Analysis of the Tax Systems in All 50 States,” was produced by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and released in Ohio by Policy Matters Ohio. The study’s main finding is that virtually every state and local tax system takes […]

Mountain Express: Low-income taxpayers pay nearly twice the rate of high-income taxpayers in NC

January 15, 2015

“According to a study from the The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy and the Budget & Tax Center, North Carolinians with the lowest income pay more than 40 percent more in taxes (as a percent of their income) compared to the state’s wealthiest residents. The ITEP even calls the state and local tax system […]

Yahoo Finance: These taxes get little attention — but hurt ordinary people the most

January 15, 2015

“Flip on cable news, and it’s a pretty safe bet some pundit will be howling about taxes assessed by Uncle Sam. But taxes at the state and local level—which get a lot less attention—are the ones causing the most pain for millions of Americans. A new study by the nonprofit Institute on Taxation and Economic […]

Ashbury Park Press: Lawmakers still confident transportation solution near

January 15, 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

Twin Cities Daily Planet: Minnesota state, local taxes fairer than most, report finds

January 15, 2015

“Minnesota’s tax structure is among the fairest in the country, according to the results of an annual analysis of state and local tax systems released today by the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. The report, “Who Pays,” looks at how states generate tax revenue – and how much it costs taxpayers at different […]

Pacific Business News: Hawaii second-worst state in taxing the poor, study says

January 15, 2015

“Hawaii is the second-worst state in terms of taxing its lowest-income residents, according to a new study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy and the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice. The study, titled “Who Pays: A Distributional Analysis of the Tax Systems in All Fifty States,” found that Hawaii households […]

KSL: Utah’s tax burden at 20-year low

January 15, 2015

“A separate report released Wednesday by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy showed that Utah’s tax system, like those of most other states, follows a regressive model, where families of lower incomes are taxed a larger share of their earnings than wealthier families. That isn’t so for the personal income tax, which is more […]

Honolulu Civil Beat: Low-Income Hawaii Residents Have Nearly Twice the Tax Rate as the Rich

January 15, 2015

“Hawaii taxes low-income people at nearly twice the rate as the richest people in the state, according to a new analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy and the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice. That makes Hawaii the second-worst state for taxing the poor, the analysis concluded.” Read more

The Providence Journal: Study finds poorest Rhode Islanders paying higher percentage of taxes than wealthiest

January 15, 2015

Rhode Island’s poorest residents can expect to pay nearly twice as much of their income in state and local taxes than the state’s wealthiest 1 percent, according to a new study. That data ranks Rhode Island fifth-worst in the country for taxes on the poor, worse than its ninth-place ranking two years ago, according to […]

Slate: Study Finds Poorer Families Pay Higher Local Tax Rates Than the Rich

January 15, 2015

“As we enter tax season—hurray!—here’s something that might surprise you when you pay your local and state taxes: The less you earn, the greater the share of your income you’re paying in taxes. That’s according to a recent study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy that set out to assess the fairness of […]

Concord Monitor: Common-sense reforms can address inequality, budget shortfalls

January 15, 2015

“A comprehensive national report issued this week demonstrates that New Hampshire’s state and local tax system asks far more of low- and moderate-income taxpayers than wealthy ones. The report, released by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, finds that, on average, non-elderly individuals and families in the bottom fifth of the income distribution in […]

Maryland Reporter: Maryland taxes are fairer than in most states, report says

January 15, 2015

“Maryland ranked as the 38th least “unfair” state in Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy’s semi-annual taxation report, published on Wednesday. This means Maryland’s tax policies are considered more fair than three-quarters of the states. The report “Who Pays” outlines the percentages of local and state taxes as a percentage of income for all 50 […]

Capital Fax: Illinois has fifth most regressive state/local taxation in nation

January 15, 2015

A new study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and the Fiscal Policy Center at Voices for Illinois Children finds that the lowest income Illinoisans pay nearly three times more in taxes as a percent of their income compared to the state’s wealthiest residents. The study, Who Pays?, analyzes tax systems in […]

Phoenix News Times: Arizona Has One of Nation’s Most Regressive Tax Systems

January 15, 2015

“Arizonans on the lower end of the income scale are paying a significantly higher portion of their incomes in taxes than wealthier Arizonans. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a non-profil research organization, released a report showing the nation’s poorest taxpayers have an effective tax rate that’s double that of the richest Americans. In […]

The Washington Post: D.C.’s tax system is one of America’s fairest

January 15, 2015

“The District of Columbia might have a reputation as a highly taxed jurisdiction, but it should have a reputation as a fairly taxed jurisdiction, according to a new study. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy on Wednesday issued the latest edition of its regular “Who Pays?” survey of state tax systems, rating the District […]

The Daily Astorian: Tax tale of two states: Oregon mostly gets it right

January 15, 2015

“New study re-emphasizes a longstanding reality: Oregonians have it much better than they imagine when it comes to taxes, while Washington residents ought to be rebelling Oregon mostly gets it right Although you’d never guess based on the complaining, Oregon lawmakers and voters have done quite a good job of designing a tax system that […]

The Day: Connecticut ranks in middle for fair taxes

January 15, 2015

Connecticut is right in the middle in a ranking of the 50 states’ tax fairness, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Still, the wealthiest residents of the state pay only about half the rate paid by the poorest households when measuring taxes as a percent of income: 5.3 […]

The Garden Island: State tax system takes toll on low-income

January 15, 2015

“But there are some costs of living in the Aloha State that don’t always seem fair, and one of those costs is the focus of a new study released Wednesday by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy and the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice. It found that Hawaii’s lowest income residents […]

Crain’s New York: New York’s high but equitable taxes

January 15, 2015

Taxes in New York may be the highest in the country, but at least they are reasonably equitable, according to the latest Who Pays study from the liberal Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. The study gives kudos to states that rely on income taxes, because they tend to be more progressive, and downgrades states […]