Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

ITEP's Research Priorities

Waco Tribune: Local stores prepare for statewide sales tax holiday

August 5, 2016

“Sales tax holidays are political gimmicks that fail to deliver on their grand promises,” said Dylan Grundman with the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. “They may give consumers a short break from sales taxes on certain items, but they don’t change regressive state tax systems. Policymakers should instead consider policies that make our tax […]

New York Times: Back-to-School Sales Tax Holidays May Be Skimpier This Year

August 5, 2016

Many tax policy experts, however, look askance at the sales tax holiday phenomenon. “They’re really mostly just a political gimmick,” said Meg Wiehe, state tax policy director at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Elected officials, she said, like the opportunity to talk about how the holidays save voters money. But in reality, she […]

Minnesota Politics: Strapped states cancel sales-tax holidays

August 5, 2016

The Bay State isn’t the only state to forgo its sales-tax holiday in order to raise additional funds. Kansas, North Carolina, Nebraska, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, state legislators are among those that have also decided against holding new tax holidays or reinstating them during the last few years, and they’ll be saving money as a […]

The Washington Times: First state back-to-school sales tax holiday kicks off at end of July

July 28, 2016

“For its part, the liberal Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy in a July 11 policy brief likewise questioned the propriety of sales tax holidays, concluding they do little to help the working poor, result in less tax revenue and administrative headaches for state tax collectors and provide an opening for “unscrupulous” merchants to “increas[e] […]

Phoenix Business Journal: Why pay-by-the-mile fees are on the horizon across the country

July 28, 2016

“The shortfall is dramatic. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that in 2013, the purchasing power of gas tax dollars had declined 22 percent since 1997, plus alternative fuel and fuel-efficient vehicles drained the purchasing power another 6 percent.” Read more

Chattanooga Times Free Press: Tennessee now holds sales tax holiday on same weekend as Georgia

July 28, 2016

“Seventeen states, primarily in the Southeast, stand to lose more than $300 million in tax revenue because they waive sales taxes on back-to-school items and other goods, including hunting gear, energy-efficient appliances and severe weather preparedness, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization with offices in Washington, D.C., […]

Coalition fights to repeal personal property tax

July 28, 2016

“Matt Gardner, executive director of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, argued in a recent blog that repealing the law would be adverse for homeowners who might have to make up the difference in higher real estate taxes.” Read more

Forth Worth Star Telegram: Texas sales tax holiday for back- to- school shopping is Aug. 5-7

July 27, 2016

“Sales tax holidays are political gimmicks that fail to deliver on their grand promises,” according to a recent memo by Dylan Grundman with the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.” Read more

Latin Post: Immigration Advocates Blast Donald Trump’s RNC Speech as ‘Pure Hatred’

July 27, 2016

“Indeed, a recent Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) “Undocumented Immigrants’ State & Local Tax Contributions study found that undocumented immigrants residing in the U.S. pay out an estimated $11.64 billion in annual taxes.” Read more

Christian Science Monitor: Are sales tax holidays good for anyone?

July 27, 2016

“But as the Washington-based research organization Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) points out, no new states introduced tax holidays this year. In fact several states have reduced or canceled theirs recently.” Read more

Tax-News: US Sales Tax Holidays Said To Be ‘Ineffective’

July 27, 2016

“In a recent paper, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) concluded that US sales tax holidays are “poorly targeted and too temporary to meaningfully change the regressive nature of a state’s tax system.”” Read more

The Olympian: Support Olympia by supporting Opportunity for Olympia

July 27, 2016

“The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy notes that Washington state has the most regressive tax structure in the country. The poorest 20 percent pay 16.8 percent of their income in state and local taxes while the richest 1 percent pay only 2.4 percent.” Read more

Money Talks News: Slash Back-to-School Spending on Sales Tax Holidays

July 26, 2016

“The effectiveness of the annual tax holidays as a policy tool is debatable. A recent report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy determined that these tax-free periods are “poorly targeted and too temporary to meaningfully change the regressive nature of a state’s tax system.” But they are still an opportunity to stretch your […]

St. Louis Post Dispatch: Editorial: Tennessee as tax-cut role model? Never mind

July 22, 2016

“Tennessee’s gains are being subsidized by the poor and working class. The poorest 20 percent of Tennesseans pay 8.9 percent of their income on sales and excise taxes, according to the Washington-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. The state’s richest residents pay just 1.2 percent.” Read more

News Press: Large tax breaks to corporations must change

July 22, 2016

“In a new report, published by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), findings show many of the largest and most profitable corporations in the U.S. pay insufficiently or no federal income taxes.  The report shines a light on multinationals which pay higher rates abroad than in the U.S., and despite their protestations to […]

Dallas Voice: Not in my America!

July 22, 2016

“And by the way, those illegal immigrants pay taxes. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, in 2013 they paid $7 billion in sales taxes, $1.1 billion in income taxes and $3.6 billion in property taxes.” Read more

Politico: Morning Tax: Trump tax plan edges closer

July 21, 2016

“JUST SAY NO TO SALES TAX HOLIDAYS: So says the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, just as 17 separate states plan to hold a sales tax holiday. The group acknowledges the holidays are popular with voters but argues they also lose revenue, don’t really give much of a boost to stores and disproportionately […]

Politico: Morning Tax Freedom Caucus back at it

July 20, 2016

“FROM THE OTHER SIDE: The liberal Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy is out with a new study urging Alaska, which is seeking new revenue sources, to go with an income tax over a sales tax. The group cites research from the University of Alaska Anchorage that around four in five state residents would pay […]

Deutsche Welle: Undocumented in the age of Donald Trump

July 20, 2016

“In February, the non-partisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that undocumented immigrants pay $11.6 billion in state and local taxes every year.” Read more

CNBC: Sales-tax holidays may not be such a great deal

July 20, 2016

“While sales-tax holidays sound like a great way for buyers to save money, they disproportionately benefit wealthier shoppers, according to a report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a Washington, D.C.-based tax policy research center. “No matter which state it is, sales taxes fall heavily on low income families as a share of […]

Inc. Com: Believe It or Not, Undocumented Immigrants Pay a Ton in Taxes

July 18, 2016

“I recently spoke to Matthew Gardner, the executive director of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that works on federal, state, and local tax policy issues. His work focuses on state and local tax systems and their impact on low- and middle-income taxpayers. Gardner is one of the […]

Governing: The Week in Public Finance: Unbalanced Budgets, Alaska’s Tax Battle and Creditor Complaints

July 18, 2016

“The problem with all this is that the sales tax is regressive, meaning it places a bigger burden on lower-income residents. An analysis released this week by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy noted that four out of every five Alaskans would pay less under an income tax than they would under a sales […]

The Hill: Airbnb collecting taxes on convention rentals

July 18, 2016

Airbnb is collecting taxes on rentals during the political party conventions in Cleveland and Philadelphia, according to a tax analyst. Carl Davis, research director at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, said the decision is the result of recent agreements and laws, and he praised the move on the liberal Tax Justice blog. Davis […]

Santa Cruz Sentinel: Many of California’s illegal immigrants feel they’re in the driver’s seat

July 6, 2016

“Research suggests those 3 million people give back to the economy. The nonpartisan Washington, D.C.-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy estimates that California’s illegal immigrants contribute more than $3.1 billion annually in state and local taxes.” Read more

NJ Spotlight: Fine Print: Transportation Funding Puts Sales Tax-Cut Under Microscope

July 6, 2016

“Alarms are being sounded, however, about the proposed sales-tax cut by New Jersey Policy Perspective, a liberal think tank based in Trenton. A joint analysis by NJPP and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy determined the sales-tax cut combined with the proposed tax-policy changes to sources of retirement income would give 74% of the […]