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While we were hoping to get progressive tax policy wins for Valentine’s Day, many state lawmakers have another idea in mind... -
This week the showdown between the Kansas legislature and governor continued as Gov. Kelly vetoed the legislature’s latest attempt to pass a flat personal income tax. Elsewhere, the focus is on doing more for working families through proposals to expand refundable credits in Maryland and adding a millionaire tax bracket in Rhode Island. Meanwhile, there’s […]
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Michael Ettlinger
Senior FellowJanuary 29, 2024
What Do We Mean By “The Rich” — and Does it Matter?
It doesn’t matter if someone with a family income of $800,000 per year thinks they aren’t rich because they can’t quit their jobs and retire to a luxury home on the beach in Malibu. They can call themselves what they want. The point is that they are richer than 99 percent of the population and can afford to pay more. -
Joe Hughes
Senior Policy AnalystJanuary 26, 2024
Three Things to Know This Tax Filing Season
The IRS Direct File pilot is currently open to eligible taxpayers here. Millions of American families have now received their W-2s for 2023, signaling the start to a new tax filing season. The IRS has set January 29 as the first date that people can file their tax returns for the previous year, and the […] -
Bills are moving and state legislative sessions are picking up across the country, giving elected officials the opportunity to consider two distinct paths when it comes to tax policy...
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Carl Davis
Research DirectorJanuary 24, 2024
New Mexico Making Tremendous Progress Making Taxes Less Regressive
Recent tax reforms have helped to bring greater balance to New Mexico's tax code. A new in-depth look at taxes in all 50 states finds New Mexico is an emerging leader, though there’s still plenty of room for improvement. -
Carl Davis
Research DirectorLast week, both houses of the Kansas legislature approved a significant tax cut centered around replacing the state’s graduated rate income tax structure with a flat tax instead. The bulk of this would flow to upper-income families, mostly through lowering the state’s top income tax rate from 5.7 to 5.25 percent. This tax cut would […] -
Carl Davis
Research DirectorJanuary 19, 2024
How the Fairness of State Tax Codes Affects Public Education
The findings of Who Pays? go a long way toward explaining why so many states are failing to raise the amount of revenue needed to provide full and robust support for our public schools. -
January 18, 2024
State Rundown 1/18: State Tax Priorities Taking Shape in 2024
Tax policy themes have begun to crop up in states as governors give their yearly addresses and legislators lay out their plans for the 2024 legislative season... -
Andrew Boardman
Local Policy AnalystJanuary 17, 2024
Worthwhile Ideas for a Stronger and Fairer D.C. Tax Code
The nation’s capital has a once-in-a-decade opportunity to advance a stronger and fairer local tax code. New draft recommendations from a key advisory panel will help leaders make the most of the moment. -
States got a wake-up call this week as ITEP released the latest edition of our flagship Who Pays? report...
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Carl Davis
Research DirectorJanuary 9, 2024
In Most States, the Tax Code Makes Inequality Worse
The vast majority of state and local tax systems are upside-down, with the wealthy paying a far lesser share of their income in taxes than low- and middle-income families. Yet a few states have made strides to buck that trend and have tax codes that are somewhat progressive and therefore do not worsen inequality. -
The year may be new, but state lawmakers seem to have the same old resolution: slashing state income taxes...
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Steve Wamhoff
Federal Policy DirectorDecember 21, 2023
Everything You Need to Know About Proposals to Better Tax Billionaires
Tax policy may not be on the minds of most Americans during the final weeks of 2023, but billionaires with an eye on their own tax bills have been riveted by developments in D.C. -
December 14, 2023
State Rundown 12/14: Tax Policy Debates Ramp Up for 2024
Even as revenue collections slow in many states, some are starting the push for 2024 tax cuts early. For instance, policymakers in Georgia and Utah are already making the case for deeper income tax cuts. Meanwhile, Arizona lawmakers are now facing a significant deficit, the consequence of their recent top-heavy tax cuts. There is another […] -
Steve Wamhoff
Federal Policy DirectorOn Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments in Moore vs. United States, which could become the most important tax case in a century. A broad ruling could destabilize our tax system, enrich many profitable corporations, and widen existing economic and racial inequalities. -
November 29, 2023
State Rundown 11/29: Thankful for Good Tax Policy
Though Turkey Day has passed, lawmakers in states across the U.S. have yet to get their fill of delicious tax policy goodness... -
Brakeyshia Samms
Policy AnalystRace was front and center in a lot of state policy debates this year, from battles over what’s being taught in schools to disagreements over new voting laws. Less visible, but also extremely important, were the racial implications of tax policy changes. What states accomplished this year – both good and bad – will acutely affect people and families of color. -
Steve Wamhoff
Federal Policy DirectorNovember 13, 2023
The Latest Convoluted Arguments in Favor of Rich People Not Paying Taxes
Two Senate hearings last week focused on how the richest Americans are avoiding and evading taxes in ways that ordinary Americans could hardly imagine. All the experts brought in to testify seemed to agree that the House GOP’s recent tactic of “paying for” a spending proposal by cutting IRS funding makes no sense because it […] -
Amy Hanauer
Executive DirectorNovember 9, 2023
Abortion-Restricting States Skimp on Funding for Children
States differ dramatically in how much they allow families to make choices about whether and when to have children and how much support they provide when families do. But there is a clear pattern: the states that compel childbirth spend less to help children once they are born. -
Joe Hughes
Senior Policy AnalystWhile Congress considers extending expired tax provisions, it should first and foremost focus on expanding the Child Tax Credit, a policy with a proven track record of helping families and children. -
Voters had the chance to impact tax policy across the country on election day, and some chose to enact common-sense reforms to raise revenue...
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Brakeyshia Samms
Policy AnalystOctober 31, 2023
Power to the People: How Workers Can Fight Tax Inequity
Workers of all races and ethnicities are confronting a tax code that puts them at a disadvantage relative to those with immense wealth, and people of color and women are among those most likely to be negatively impacted by this injustice. -
Brakeyshia Samms
Policy AnalystThere's a patchwork of programs and preparers for people of color to turn to when filing taxes, and most come from corporations that profit from providing a service that the government could provide more effectively and efficiently for free. The Direct File program can change that and is a great step forward in the IRS’ work addressing racism in the tax code. -
Kamolika Das
Local Policy DirectorMost states already offer their own Earned Income Tax Credits, typically matching a certain percentage of residents’ federal EITC, but this is still a rarity among localities.
Blog Categories
- Corporate Taxes
- Earned Income Tax Credit
- Education Tax Breaks
- Federal Policy
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- Local Refundable Tax Credits
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- Tax Credits for Workers and Families
- Tax Reform Options and Challenges
- Taxing Wealth and Income from Wealth
- Trump Tax Policies
- Who Pays?