Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

ITEP's Research Priorities

Deleware NewsZap: Gas Tax-Is it Still Happening?

May 27, 2014

According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan think-tank, the challenge with state gas taxes is its unsustainability, as it relates to vehicle fuel efficiency and the rising cost of building infrastructure.

Bloomberg: How Gasoline-Use Drop May Raise Taxes in Deleware

May 27, 2014

Fuel-efficiency gains, inflation and higher construction costs have eroded the ability of state gasoline taxes to keep pace with needs, said Carl Davis, an analyst at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a Washington-based research group.

The Columbus Dispatch: State GOP Tax Cut Would Increase Income Inequality

May 27, 2014

An analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a Washington D.C. nonprofit, showed that the moves designed to help Ohioans beyond the top income brackets - the higher personal exemptions and earned income tax expansion - would generate only very modest savings for middle-income Ohioans and almost nothing for the poorest Ohioans

The Des Moines Register: Road Construction Running out of Gas?

May 27, 2014

By Editorial Board, May 25, 2014 Iowans on the road this Memorial Day weekend will likely encounter some traffic delays. It’s that time of the year when work gets underway on the state’s highways and bridges. The Iowa Department of Transportation is already looking down the road to $2.7 billion in major highway construction projects […]

Detroit Free Press: Why Michiganders Pay Among the Highest Gas Tax to Drive on Crummy Roads

May 23, 2014

By Paul Egan, May 23, 2014 High fuel taxes and low spending on roads. It’s a nasty combination, but Michigan motorists can rightfully complain they pay some of the highest fuel taxes to drive on some of the lousiest roads. According to national data, Michigan has the sixth-highest state taxes on gasoline but one of […]

The Star Ledger: NJ Millionaires Tax Could Help Plug Budget Hole

May 22, 2014

By Star-Ledger Editorial Board, May 20, 2014 Gov. Chris Christie has promised to announce a plan this week to put our state budget on life support. He’s suggested he will do whatever it takes — politics be damned — to close the $807 million hole we are facing: “Everything is on the table to balance […]

East Bay Express: Health Care for All?

May 21, 2014

Undocumented Californians also paid about $2.7 billion in taxes, including property, sales, and income taxes, in 2010, according to the most recent annual estimate available from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. "There's this misconception that undocumented people are 'takers' -- that they're benefiting from public benefits but not contributing," said Daniel Zingale, senior vice president of The California Endowment, which has embarked on a multimillion-dollar campaign -- also named "Health for All" -- to raise awareness about undocumented people and their inability to access health care.

The Daily Review: An Overlooked Source of Revenue

May 19, 2014

“Editorial, May 18, 2014 Faced with growing budget deficit partially of its own making, the Corbett administration likely will retreat from its previously planned 3.7 percent increase in state spending this election year and move instead to cut about $800 million from its tentative budget proposal. It’s not yet known whether that will mean a […]

Transportation Topics: Gas Tax Buying Power at All-Time Low in Some States

May 19, 2014

By Michael Fuetsch, May 19, 2014 The gasoline tax is so low and has not been raised for so long in 10 states, that the levy’s purchasing power has fallen to historic lows, a new study said. States where this has occurred are Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, New Jersey, South Carolina, Utah, and […]

The Star-Ledger: NJ’s Gas Tax Cut in Half When Adjusted for Inflation

May 19, 2014

By Alex Napoliello, May 19, 2014 New Jersey’s gas tax is at an all-time low. That may not be a surprise for those who have been following a recent proposal to raise the tax. But what may be a shock is that the state’s gas tax is almost half of what it was in 1927. […]

The Gazette: Iowa Ranks Low for Keeping up with Gas Tax

May 19, 2014

By B.A. Morellie, May 19, 2014 A new report shows Iowa is one of 10 states where the gas tax, when considering inflation, is at a historic low. The report was critical of falling behind on the gas tax, saying the tax supports roads and transportation infrastructure, and many states are falling behind. “This isn’t […]

Des Moines Register: Iowa Fuel Tax Hits Low

May 12, 2014

By Jason Noble, May 10, 2014 “Iowa is one of 10 states in which fuel taxes have hit an inflation-adjusted “all-time low,” according to a report issued last week by a Washington think tank. The state’s current 19 cents per gallon tax on fuel has been in place since 1989. Inflation over that time, though, […]

Politico: What’s Happening in the States?

May 12, 2014

(Original Post) Morning Tax, May 9, 2014 The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy has a new report that finds that ten states have record-low gas tax rates when inflation is factored in. The South Carolina gas tax, for example, has been at 16 cents a gallon for more than a quarter-century, even longer than […]

Reflejos: Undocument Immigrants Contribute Billions in Taxes

May 12, 2014

  Editorial, May 11, 2014 Death and taxes, according to Benjamin Franklin, are the only things in life that are certain. And despite the prevailing myth perpetrated by nativist groups, there are plenty of undocumented immigrants facing the certainty of taxes every single year. … One way that undocumented immigrants already pay taxes is through […]

Politico: What’s Next for That Ca. CEO Pay Bill?

May 12, 2014

Morning Tax, May 12, 2014 Matthew Gardner, the executive director of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, said while the bill highlights “two vital problems we ought to fix — excessive CEO pay and underpayment of corporate taxes,” if it did somehow pass, it’s easy to picture what would happen next in offices across […]

The Baltimore Sun: The Tax They’re Not Talking About

May 12, 2014

By the Editorial Board, May 12, 2014 With varying degrees of aggressiveness and specificity, all seven candidates for governor are pledging to change Maryland’s tax code. The ideas range from eliminating the income tax altogether (Republicans David Craig and Charles Lollar) to raising taxes on millionaires and multi-state corporations to pay for cuts for small […]

Washington Post: Inflation, Not Efficiency Is Eroding the State Highway Trust Fund

May 7, 2014

The article misdiagnosed the cause of the looming shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund when it stated that the fund "relies on the 18.4-cent federal gas tax, which has eroded steadily as vehicles have become more energy efficient.

The Times-Tribune: Money Hides in Plain Sight

May 5, 2014

(Original Post) Editorial Board, The Scranton Times Tribune, May 4, 2014 Faced with growing budget deficit partially of its own making, the Corbett administration likely will retreat from its previously planned 3.7 percent increase in state spending this election year and move instead to cut about $800 million from its tentative budget proposal. It’s not […]

Agence France Press: Behind Big US Deals in Europe: Avoiding Taxes

April 30, 2014

The worry is that companies will increasingly seek to reduce their US tax bill -- and deny the US government needed funds -- by using accounting measures to push even more income abroad, said Matt Gardner, executive director of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. "Our concern is that the next step is that they will even shift their US profits on paper offshore," he said

The Bergen Record: Christie: “Nothing off the Table,” in Filling NJ’s $807B Budget Gap

April 30, 2014

(Original post) By John Reitmeyer, April 30, 2014 Governor Christie said “there’s nothing off the table” as he considers ways to plug a projected $807 million budget gap with just two months left in New Jersey’s fiscal year.   “I’m going to use every tool at my disposal to get a balanced budget,” he said. […]

San Antonio Express News: Wanna Talk Taxes?

April 28, 2014

(Original post) By the Editorial Board, April 25, 2014 Because Texas property taxes are among the highest in the U.S., the idea of replacing them is tantalizing. Be careful what you wish for. In the race for Texas Comptroller, GOP nominee Glenn Hegar has suggested supplanting property taxes with sales taxes. Democratic nominee Mike Collier […]

Governing: Corporate Tax Attacks in the States

April 25, 2014

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been complaining for years about corporate tax havens. The Congressional Research Services reports that offshore tax shelters cost the federal government between $30 billion and $90 billion a year.

Boston Globe: Who Pays More in Taxes?

April 23, 2014

When it comes to state and local taxes, you find precisely the opposite: higher-income families pay a smaller share of their income in taxes while lower-income families pay more. It is called a regressive tax system, and you'll find it in virtually every state, including Massachusetts.

CorpWatch: Caterpillar Uses Swiss Subsidiary to Avoid Billions in Taxes

April 21, 2014

(Original Post) by Rozali Telbis, CorpWatch Blog April 15th, 2014 Caterpillar equipment. Photo: Kelly Michals. Used under Creative Commons license. Caterpillar – one of the world’s largest maker of construction and mining equipment – used a subsidiary in Switzerland to avoid paying $2.4 billion in taxes over a period of 13 years, according to a […]

Idaho Reporter: Coldwater closing another setback for Workforce Development Fund

April 21, 2014

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Dustin Hurst The losses continue to pile up for Idaho’s embattled Workforce Development Fund. This time it’s the closure of clothier Coldwater Creek that’s leaving a black mark on the state program’s record. As Sandpoint-based Coldwater Creek enters bankruptcy and planned liquidation, Idaho taxpayers are losing out on thousands […]