Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP)

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ITEP Resources for the Tax Reform Debate

December 14, 2017 • By ITEP Staff

ITEP researchers have produced new reports and analyses that look at various pieces of the tax bill, including: the share of tax cuts that will go to foreign investors; how the plans would affect the number of taxpayers that take the mortgage interest deduction or write off charitable contributions, and remaining problems with the bill in spite of proposed compromises on state and local tax deductions.

State Rundown 12/13: Supermajority Laws Considered in Some States Even as They Confound Others

Supermajority requirements for tax increases are proving a major obstacle to responsible budgeting in Oklahoma, while ballot initiatives are being filed to alter or abolish Oregon‘s similar requirement, but a similar requirement is slowly advancing toward the ballot in Florida nonetheless. Displeasure with agricultural property taxes are spawning both a ballot initiative drive and a […]

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All I Want for Christmas is a Clean DREAM Act

December 13, 2017 • By Misha Hill

All I Want for Christmas is a Clean DREAM Act

As 2017 draws to close, Congress has yet to take legislative action to protect Dreamers. The young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, and are largely working or in school, were protected by President Obama’s 2012 executive action, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). But in September, President Trump announced that he would end DACA in March 2018. Instead of honoring the work authorizations and protection from deportation that currently shields more than 685,000 young people, President Trump punted their lives and livelihood to a woefully divided Congress which is expected to take up legislation…

“Compromises” Under Discussion for the State and Local Tax Deduction Do Not Fix Flawed Tax Bills

Republicans in Congress are reported to be considering two versions of a change they claim would “improve” the current bills by making them more generous to residents of higher-taxed states. As illustrated by these estimates, the reality is that these proposals would make little difference on those states and taxpayers hit hardest.

Even with Potential SALT Compromises, Senate Bill Forces California and New York to Shoulder a Larger Share of Federal Taxes While Texas, Florida, and Other States Will Pay Less

The Senate tax bill, with or without either of the compromises that could be added to it, would shift personal income taxes away from Florida and Texas to states like California and New York, which are already paying a high share relative to their populations.

New Republic: Tax Reform to Own the Libs

December 8, 2017

According to analysis from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and California would pay $17 billion more in taxes by 2027, while Texas and Florida, two large states that Trump won, would pay $31 billion less. “You can definitely see the ideological tilt here,” Carl Davis, the institute’s research […]

In the ongoing debate over major federal tax legislation, there is significant focus on how House and Senate bills would eliminate the deduction for state income tax payments and cap the deduction for property taxes at $10,000 per year. At the same time, tax writers have retained deductions for charitable gifts and mortgage interest with what appear to be comparatively minor changes, at least at first glance.

How the House and Senate Tax Bills Would Affect California Residents’ Federal Taxes

The House passed its “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” November 16th and the Senate passed its version December 2nd. Both bills would raise taxes on many low- and middle-income families in every state and provide the wealthiest Americans and foreign investors substantial tax cuts, while adding more than $1.4 trillion to the deficit over ten years. The graph below shows that both bills are skewed to the richest 1 percent of California residents.

National and 50-State Impacts of House and Senate Tax Bills in 2019 and 2027

The House passed its “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” November 16th and the Senate passed its version December 2nd. Both bills would raise taxes on many low- and middle-income families in every state and provide the wealthiest Americans and foreign investors substantial tax cuts, while adding more than $1.4 trillion to the deficit over ten years. National and 50-State data available to download.

A Corporate Tax Cut Would Benefit Coastal Investors, Not the Heartland

The centerpiece of the House and Senate tax plans is a major tax cut for profitable corporations that the American public does not want, and that will overwhelmingly benefit a small number of wealthy investors living in traditionally “blue” states. New ITEP research shows that poorer states such as West Virginia, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Tennessee would be largely left behind by a corporate tax cut, while the lion’s share of the benefits would remain with a relatively small number of wealthy investors who tend to be concentrated in larger cities near the nation’s coasts.

Quartz: The Republican tax plan takes aim at one of the biggest engines of US growth

November 30, 2017

As Los Angeles Times Jim Puzzanghera pointed out recently, California is already one of a handful of states that pays more to the federal government than it receives. The Republican plan currently being debated in the Senate is likely to make this imbalance even larger. While most of the country can expect to benefit from […]

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State Rundown 11/29: Thanksgiving Leftovers Edition

November 29, 2017 • By ITEP Staff

State Rundown 11/29: Thanksgiving Leftovers Edition

The State Rundown is back from Thanksgiving break with a heaping helping of leftover state tax news, but beware, some of it may be rotten.

The Atlantic: The Big Blue Losers in the GOP Tax Plan

November 28, 2017

Between the mortgage and SALT limits, the bills hit many upper-middle-class taxpayers, especially in blue states. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy calculates that by 2027 the Senate bill would raise taxes on about 45 percent of households between the 80th and 95th income percentiles in California, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York; and […]

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Resources for Your Thanksgiving Dinner Tax Policy Debates

November 21, 2017 • By ITEP Staff

Resources for Your Thanksgiving Dinner Tax Policy Debates

ITEP has analyzed each of the tax proposals advanced by the House and Senate in recent weeks. While some details have changed, the bottom line is the same: The plans would disproportionately benefit corporations and the wealthy. The Senate tax plan ITEP’s latest analysis examined the proposal that passed the Senate Finance Committee on Nov. […]

Revised Senate Plan Would Raise Taxes on at Least 29% of Americans and Cause 19 States to Pay More Overall

The tax bill reported out of the Senate Finance Committee on Nov. 16 would raise taxes on at least 29 percent of Americans and cause the populations of 19 states to pay more in federal taxes in 2027 than they do today.

New York Times: Confused by Tax Bills?

November 17, 2017

Compared with current law, the House bill, which was passed Thursday, would raise personal federal income taxes on California, New Jersey, New York and Maryland residents by $16.7 billion in 2027, according to an Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy analysis. Florida and Texas, however, would get $31.2 billion in cuts. Read more

Los Angeles Times: A Tax Bill No Responsible California Lawmaker Should Support

November 16, 2017

But the bill’s cuts in personal tax rates, its increase in the standard deduction and other benefits for individual taxpayers are partially offset by reductions in some popular tax deductions — including those for state and local taxes and mortgage interest payments, many of whose beneficiaries live in states with high income or sales taxes […]

CNN: GOP Tax Plans Could Fuel the Suburban Revolt Against Trump

November 15, 2017

The bite from the GOP bill is deeper for upper-middle-class families in major metropolitan areas, particularly in Democratic-leaning states where taxes, and usually property values, are higher. While only about one-in-five families between the 80th and 95th income percentiles in most red states would face higher taxes by 2027 under the House GOP bill, that […]

House Tax Plan Offers an Exceptionally Bad Deal for California, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland

An ITEP analysis reveals that four states would see their residents pay more in aggregate federal personal income taxes under the House’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. While some individual taxpayers in every state would face a tax increase, only California, New York, Maryland, and New Jersey would see such large increases that their residents’ overall personal income tax payments rise when compared to current law.

How the Revised Senate Tax Bill Would Affect California Residents’ Federal Taxes

The Senate tax bill released last week would raise taxes on some families while bestowing immense benefits on wealthy Americans and foreign investors. In California, 39 percent of the federal tax cuts would go to the richest 5 percent of residents, and 20 percent of households would face a tax increase, once the bill is fully implemented.

Senate Tax Plan Reserves Greatest Benefit for Richest Americans, Millions Face an Increase

A 50-state analysis of the Senate tax proposal finds that not only would greatest share of benefits go to the richest Americans, but also more than one in 10 taxpayers would face a tax hike, with a large number of those taxpayers residing in states where residents pay higher state and local taxes.

House Tax Bill Would Put Property Tax Deduction Out of Reach for Most Households

The House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on a bill that would reduce federal revenues by roughly $1.5 trillion over the next decade. Despite the bill’s high price tag, many households would pay more in federal tax if the bill is enacted, in large part because it slashes the deduction for state […]

Flawed Data from House Leadership Attempts to Hide Tax Hikes Under Proposal

In a story published yesterday evening, Politico reported that House leaders have been “working to create customized data models” to show lawmakers that their constituents will not face a tax increase under the tax bill being debated in the House. On this point, House leaders have taken on an impossible task.

State Rundown 11/8: Online Sales Tax Fight and Tax Subsidy Absurdity Go National

Internet sales tax fairness efforts gained momentum this week as most states joined together to encourage the US Supreme Court to allow them to collect taxes on online sales. Meanwhile, Montana lawmakers will enter special session next week to plug their revenue shortfall, Mississippi's (self-inflicted) revenue crunch is reaching unprecedented severity, and misguided corporate tax subsidies got mainstream attention from HBO's John Oliver and Rolling Stone.

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Analysis of the House Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

November 6, 2017 • By Matthew Gardner, Meg Wiehe, Steve Wamhoff

Analysis of the House Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was introduced on Nov. 2 in the House of Representatives, would raise taxes on some Americans and cut taxes on others while also providing significant savings to foreign investors.