While no news is often regarded as good news, in this case, it’s not. Michigan’s tax structure is still highly regressive, and taxes Michiganders with low incomes at a higher rate than Michigan’s wealthiest residents, according to a report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
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.
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ITEP Work in Action October 17, 2018 Michigan League for Public Policy: News Flash: Michigan Taxes Are Still Upside-Down
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ITEP Work in Action December 20, 2017 Michigan League for Public Policy: The benefits of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on immigrants in Michigan
Researchers at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) estimate that nationwide, DACA enrollees contribute $2 billion in state and local taxes each year. In Michigan, these young adults… -
ITEP Work in Action October 18, 2017 Michigan League for Public Policy: Immigrant families in Michigan: A state profile
Michigan immigrants also contribute millions in tax revenue each year, and in doing so help pay for important public programs and infrastructure in the state. In 2015 for example, undocumented… -
ITEP Work in Action May 18, 2016 Michigan League for Public Policy: Review tax expenditures to help fix Michigan’s broken revenue stream
“Michigan has a budget problem, and simply put, there just isn’t enough money to go around. Michigan has experienced crisis after crisis—the Great Recession, nearly record-high unemployment, municipal financial emergencies,… -
ITEP Work in Action December 18, 2015 Michigan League for Public Policy: The 2015 roads plan: Helps wealthy and hampers budget
“Finally, the income tax rollback that was thrown in as a sweetener has implications on the budget as well as tax fairness. Under the plan, if General Fund revenues grow… -
ITEP Work in Action November 2, 2015 Michigan League for Public Policy: Enough is Enough: Business Tax Cuts Fail to Grow Michigan’s Economy, Hurt Budget
Cutting business taxes has not been an effective way to grow jobs and the Michigan economy as promised. This is particularly true when combined with increased taxes on individuals, disproportionately… -
ITEP Work in Action October 21, 2015 Michigan League for Public Policy: Undocumented immigrants: Reform increases their tax contributions
Undocumented immigrants already contribute a significant amount to our state’s tax system. Under President Obama’s 2012 and 2014 executive actions, the amount will increase and could be even more with… -
ITEP Work in Action October 21, 2015 Michigan League for Public Policy: Paving the roads on the backs of the working poor
The House Republican plan to fix Michigan’s roads by eliminating the state Earned Income Tax Credit raises taxes for the second time in five years on workers already struggling to… -
ITEP Work in Action October 21, 2015 Michigan League for Public Policy: Testimony Presented to the House Roads and Economic Development Committee HB 4609 – EITC Elimination
House Bill 4609, which would eliminate the Michigan Earned Income Tax Credit, is a tax hike on 820,000 working families who are raising 1 million children. It punishes working families… -
ITEP Work in Action March 10, 2015 Michigan League for Public Policy: Road funding ballot proposal: a win-win for everyone
According to a new report from the Michigan League for Public Policy, an analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy shows that even after the sales tax increase,… -
ITEP Work in Action March 3, 2015 Michigan League for Public Policy: A Solution at Last to Michigan’s Crumbling Roads
Analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy shows that the sales tax increase and the increase of the EITC will help low-income working people. After all of the… -
ITEP Work in Action January 26, 2015 Michigan League for Public Policy: Income Tax Cuts: Financially Irresponsible and No Economic Benefits
Proposals to roll back the personal income tax in Michigan will not create jobs or grow our economy and will disproportionately benefit the wealthiest taxpayers the most. It is also… -
ITEP Work in Action November 25, 2014 Michigan League for Public Policy: Let’s Not Make it Harder for People to Get to Work!
Improving the state’s roads is critical to economic growth in Michigan. Not only do people depend on the roads and public transportation to get to work, but businesses—and potential businesses—rely… -
ITEP Work in Action June 9, 2014 Michigan League for Public Policy: Road fix must protect low-income families
“It’s clear that Michigan must come up with a solution to repair its broken roads. A funding solution that requires a higher sales tax, however, will be especially difficult for… -
ITEP Work in Action May 12, 2014 Michigan League for Public Policy: Testimony to the Senate Finance Committee on SB 402
The Michigan League for Public Policy opposes Senate Bill 402. Across‐the‐board cuts in the state’s personal income tax will not create jobs or grow the economy in Michigan. They could,… -
ITEP Work in Action May 12, 2014 Michigan League for Public Policy: Testimony to the House Tax Policy Committee on HB 5265-5267
The Michigan League for Public Policy opposes House Bills 5265, 5266, and 5267 because across-the-board cuts in the state’s personal income tax will not create jobs or grow Michigan’s economy.… -
ITEP Work in Action May 12, 2014 Michigan League for Public Policy: Slicing Up the Income Tax Cut Proposal
Proposals to roll back the personal income tax in Michigan will not create jobs or grow our economy and will disproportionately benefit the wealthiest taxpayers the most. In fact, most… -
ITEP Work in Action January 15, 2014 Michigan League for Public Policy: Tax Cuts Won’t Grow the Economy
Across-the-board income tax cuts will not boost Michigan’s economy but would contribute to rising income inequality, and further drain resources from public schools, community colleges, universities, health care and… -
ITEP Work in Action November 13, 2013 Michigan League for Public Policy: The Path to Prosperity: Ten Steps Michigan Must Take to Strengthen Its Economy
Over the last decade, Michigan policymakers have addressed the state’s economic and fiscal problems largely through a combination of budget cuts, tax shifts and reliance on one-time revenues–under the mistaken… -
ITEP Work in Action January 14, 2013 Michigan League for Human Services: The Michigan EITC and Taxes Paid by Working Families
Even with a state EITC, low-income families pay more of their income in state and local taxes than the state’s wealthiest families. Read the Full Report (PDF) -
ITEP Work in Action January 14, 2013 Michigan League for Human Services: All Pain, No Gain
Michigan has a regressive tax system, meaning that lower-income people pay a bigger share of their income in state and local taxes than higher-income people. Gov. Rick Snyder’s plan would… -
ITEP Work in Action December 17, 2012 Michigan League for Human Services: Tax Changes Hit Low-Income Families the Hardest
The tax package adopted by Gov. Rick Snyder and the Legislature last year will begin to take effect in 2012. Michigan’s business taxes will be reduced by $1.6 billion, while… -
ITEP Work in Action December 17, 2012 Michigan League for Human Services: Got Skin in the Game?
It is often said that families who receive government assistance do not have any “skin in the game,” meaning that they use government-funded programs but do not contribute to the…