ITEP Work in Action
Advocates and policymakers at the state and federal levels rely on ITEP’s analytic capabilities to inform their debates on proposed tax policy changes. In any given year, ITEP fields requests for analyses of policies in 25 or more states. ITEP also works with national partners to provide analyses of federal tax policy proposals. This section highlights reports that use ITEP analyses to make a compelling case for progressive tax reforms.
Kentucky Center for Economic Policy: Another Income Tax Cut Will Dig the Hole Deeper
February 10, 2025
Kentucky lawmakers are expected to vote early in the legislative session on another half-point cut to the individual income tax rate, a drop from 4% to 3.5%. This cut is expected to pass despite a projected decline in tax revenues due to the income tax reductions of the last couple of years. With this next drop, the state will get closer to the level of tax cuts Kansas put in place in 2013 and was forced to reverse just five years later because the state wasn’t bringing in enough money to meet its obligations.
Kansas Action for Children: Flat Tax: Simple Doesn’t Mean Smart
February 16, 2023
The state has seen increased revenue in recent years, with the state budget including millions of dollars in surplus revenue. The temporary, higher receipts have led to several tax cut proposals. Now, some politicians and special business interest groups are proposing to use lingering budget surpluses to tilt the tax code even further in their favor. […]
Missouri Budget Project: Special Session Tax Proposal Leaves Out 1/3 of Missouri Taxpayers, Weighted to Benefit Wealthiest
August 28, 2022
Governor Parson’s recently released tax proposal would leave out about one-third of Missourians, including many of those who pay the highest proportion of their income in state & local taxes, and set the state up for a Kansas-like budget bomb that would require significant cuts to schools, public safety, healthcare, and other critical needs. Read […]
Kansas Action for Children: Working Kansas Families Bear Brunt of Skewed Policies
February 26, 2021
In the midst of a global pandemic and recession, the Kansas Legislature shockingly continues to consider bills that will further lower the already low tax responsibilities of corporations and high-income Kansans. Lawmakers should reject legislation like Senate Bill 22 and instead work to enhance economic and racial equity through Kansas’s tax code. Our state’s leaders […]
Kansas Center for Economic Growth: Kansans of Color Often Pay More Than Their Fair Share of Taxes
November 2, 2018
Kansans believe in fairness. However, a recent study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and the Kansas Center for Economic Growth finds that the lowest-income Kansans are contributing a higher share of their income to fund our priorities. Without an equitable tax structure, we will struggle to make necessary investments in great […]
Kansas Center for Economic Growth: New Analysis: Tax Reform Reduces Inequality for Kansans, but Low-Income Taxpayers Still Pay 1.5 Times the Rate Paid by the Richest
October 17, 2018
A new study released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy and the Kansas Center for Economic Growth finds that the lowest-income Kansans pay 1.5 times more in taxes as a percent of their income compared with the state’s wealthiest residents.
Kansas Center for Economic Growth: New KCEG Blog Series Documents Equity Issues Facing Kansas
February 15, 2018
systemic barriers facing Kansans can strengthen our state’s economy. Using data broken out by race and ethnicity, gender, and immigration status, the entries highlight areas for policymakers to address to ensure continued economic prosperity for every Kansan. Policy and research analyst Emily Fetsch examined data in recent reports from the Kansas Health Institute and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
Kansas Center for Economic Growth: New American immigrants in Kansas strengthen the economy
February 7, 2018
A recent report from the Institute of Tax and Economic Policy (ITEP) shows how undocumented immigrants in Kansas demonstrate their commitment to our state and increase state revenue through the taxes they pay. Read more here
Kansas Center for Economic Growth: New American Immigrants in Kansas Strengthen the Economy
February 7, 2018
Currently, undocumented immigrants residing in Kansas pay nearly $68 million a year in state and local taxes. By granting undocumented immigrants full and legal status, Kansas could receive an additional $11 million in state and local taxes annually, creating a nearly $79 million state and local tax contribution from the undocumented immigrant population. Read more […]
Kansas Center for Economic Growth: A Flat Tax Would Only Worsen Kansas’ Budget Crisis
March 18, 2017
Governor Sam Brownback’s 2012 plan to phase out the state income tax created an unprecedented fiscal crisis for Kansas. Some options presented for addressing this crisis would “flatten” Kansas’ income tax and require all Kansans to pay the same income tax rate, regardless of how much they earn. Read more here
Kansas Action for Children: KAC Testimony to the Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee in Support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 1604
February 15, 2017
The high food sales tax hurts Kansas families. Food is a basic necessity for Kansas’ families. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, the state’s increasing reliance on sales tax hurts Kansas’ poorest residents. The lowest 20% of income earners in Kansas pay an average of 11.1% of their income in state and […]
ITEP Testimony Regarding Kansas Senate Bill 188
February 14, 2017
ITEP analysis of Kansas tax changes enacted between 2012 and 2015 shows the state lost over $1 billion in revenue annually from changes to its personal income tax, including lowering income tax rates and exempting business pass-through income from taxation (see Figure 1). While the state subsequently made up some of these revenue losses through […]
ITEP Testimony Regarding Kansas Senate Bill 2237
February 7, 2017
ITEP analysis of Kansas tax changes enacted between 2012 and 2015 shows the state lost over $1 billion in revenue annually from changes to its personal income tax, including lowering income tax rates and exempting business pass-through income from taxation (see Figure 1). While the state subsequently made up some of these revenue losses through […]
Kansas Center for Economic Growth: KCEG Testimony to the House Taxation Committee as Neutral on HB 2023.
January 9, 2017
The LLC Loophole is unfair, expensive, and failed to create jobs. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, the LLC loophole costs Kansas nearly $290 million per year. It was originally touted as the plan’s signature feature, but now legislators and business leaders of all political stripes publicly acknowledge that it failed to […]
Kansas Center for Economic Growth: A Guide to Comprehensive Tax Reform in Kansas
December 18, 2016
The morning after the election was tough. Half the country woke up feeling devastated, the other half awoke feeling excited. Regardless of who you voted for, it’s hard to come back together when we feel so deeply divided. In Kansas, however, we have a special opportunity to rise to the occasion. Read more here
Kansas Center for Economic Growth: Brownback Tax Hike Doesn’t Solve Budget Crisis
October 21, 2015
“Every Kansas income group will pay more as a result of this tax increase, but it still doesn’t solve Kansas’ ongoing budget crisis,” said Duane Goossen, senior fellow at the Kansas Center for Economic Growth and former state budget director. “Kansas is draining over $800 million a year as a result of Gov. Brownback’s 2012 […]
Kansas Center for Economic Growth: Tax Hikes to Protect Businesses Hit Working Kansans Hardest
October 21, 2015
The end-result of this years’ historically long session was quite predictable: taxes were raised on hard-working Kansans to cover the budget shortfall caused by the unaffordable tax cuts of 2012-13. The increases recently adopted will fall primarily on low- and moderate-income Kansans because such a big chunk of the new money will come from sales […]
Kansas Center for Economic Growth: Kansas Taxes in 2013 – Who Pays?
April 15, 2014
The tax cuts in Kansas disproportionately affect our poorest residents. While the wealthiest Kansans take home enough money to purchase more than 14,000 loaves of bread, low-income families OWE more taxes, which means 125 fewer loaves of bread for them. Read the Full Report
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Lessons for Other States from Kansas’ Massive Tax Cuts
March 27, 2014
Tax cuts enacted in Kansas in 2012 were among the largest ever enacted by any state, and have since been held up by tax-cut proponents in other states as a model worth replicating. In truth, Kansas is a cautionary tale, not a model. As other states recover from the recent recession and turn toward the […]
Open Sky Policy Institute: Typical family pays less tax in Nebraska than in most similar states
January 24, 2014
Middle-income Nebraskans pay relatively low taxes compared to their counterparts in eight nearby states with similar economies and tax structures. A family earning the median family income in Nebraska ($63,442) would pay less in taxes than a similar family in all but two of these states – Colorado and Kansas. (Table 1) The other comparable […]
The Commonwealth Institute: What Would a Cut to the Top Individual Income Tax Rate Mean for Virginians?
May 17, 2013
A proposal to eliminate Virginia’s top individual income tax rate would overwhelmingly benefit the state’s wealthiest residents, who already spend far less of their household budgets on state and local taxes than any other group. Nearly 40 percent of Virginia taxpayers would see no reduction in their taxes under the plan and most of the […]
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Strategies to Address the State Tax Volatility Problem
April 19, 2013
State revenues plummet in recessions, just when states can least afford the loss. Some proposals to address this flaw in state tax systems would change the systems’ structure — for instance, by replacing state personal income taxes with sales taxes — but wouldn’t solve the problem and would exacerbate others in state tax systems. States […]
Missouri Budget Project: Racing to the Bottom
March 12, 2013
Senate Gives Initial Approval to Extreme Tax Cut Bill Which Would Devastate Missouri Services, Infrastructure, and the State’s Economy An extreme tax cut proposal, perfected this week by the Missouri Senate would slash Missouri’s general revenue budget by nearly $1 billion when fully implemented, resulting in devastating cuts to services throughout the state. Further, the […]
Kansas Action for Children: The Kansas Budget Gap: How Did it Happen and Who Gets Hurt?
January 14, 2013
As is the case in any state, Kansas revenue and budget circumstances vary from year to year depending on a number of factors, including the health of the economy, the cost of providing state services and unforeseen expenses due to natural disasters or litigation. However, the budget shortfalls seen in Kansas recently are the result […]
Kansas Action for Children: Kansas Tax Reform in 2012: What does it mean for children and families?
December 17, 2012
“One of the defining issues of the 2012 Kansas legislative session was tax policy. Ultimately, the package of tax changes enacted by lawmakers will negatively impact Kansas children and families in a number of ways. • State revenues will be dramatically reduced – affecting available funding for necessary services such as education, the social safety […]
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