Our citizen legislators have lots of choices to make when they meet for the annual legislative session every January – how to prioritize spending on public services like education, health care and public safety, which laws to enact, and whether to make changes to our state’s tax code.
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 January 22, 2019 Time to restore fairness to the personal income tax and break the boom-or-bust cycle
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ITEP Work in Action November 29, 2018 New Mexico Voices for Children: The Cliff Effect: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
This report focuses on the cliff effect that occurs with the loss of child care assistance for New Mexico families. Losing child care assistance is especially detrimental to families because the cost of child care is so high. High-quality child care costs more than tuition and fees at New Mexico’s 4-year public universities, so it is an expense that even middle-income families struggle to meet. This report looks at the intensity of the child care cliff effect in New Mexico, as well as problems with income eligibility ceilings and co-pays, and offers policy solutions to these problems.
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ITEP Work in Action November 2, 2018 New Mexico Voices for Children: The Next Governor Should Improve Our Tax System and Increase Wages
When it comes to fairness, New Mexico’s tax system is backwards. Those who earn the smallest incomes pay the highest rates in state and local taxes, according to a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. The responsibility for taxes should not fall hardest on those with the least ability to pay, but it does. There are several ways we can make our tax system fairer.
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ITEP Work in Action October 18, 2018 KRWG: Lowest-Income Taxpayers in NM Pay 1.8 Times the Tax Rate Paid by the Richest New Mexicans
Commentary: A new study released by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) finds that the lowest-income New Mexicans pay a state and local tax rate that is almost double what the state’s wealthiest residents pay as a share of their income.
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ITEP Work in Action October 17, 2018 New Mexico Voices for Children: New Analysis: Lowest-Income Taxpayers in NM Pay 1.8 Times the Tax Rate Paid by the Richest New Mexicans
“Taxes are the way we accomplish great things for our state – build our schools and infrastructure, provide health care and public safety, and more,” said James Jimenez, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children, which partnered with ITEP on the report release. “These systems and services underpin our economy and improve our quality of life. We all need to do our part to support them, but our current state tax system ensures that those who can afford to pay the most actually pay the least.”
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ITEP Work in Action October 17, 2018 Public News Service: Report: NM Tax Overhaul Would Benefit Kids, Families
Regressive tax systems hurt children and families, according to a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy – and by that standard, it says New Mexico has the 19th-worst tax system in the United States.
The study showed that as a share of their income, the lowest-income New Mexicans are paying state and local tax rates almost double those of the state’s wealthiest residents.
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ITEP Work in Action April 17, 2018 New Mexico Voices for Children: Celebrate Democracy- It’s Tax Day!
While it’s easy to tick off a list of the things we enjoy that are paid for out of our taxes, paying taxes is really a moral duty that we… -
ITEP Work in Action September 1, 2017 New Mexico Voices for Children: The Trump Tax Plan Isn’t ‘Reform.’ Here’s Why:
In April the Trump administration released a sketchy outline of their half-baked ideas for tax changes. An analysis by the Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) of that back-of-the-envelope ‘plan’ found that nearly half (48 percent) of Trump’s proposed tax cuts would go to millionaires. Millionaires make up only 0.5 percent of the U.S. population.
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ITEP Work in Action August 31, 2017 New Mexico Voices for Children: Trump Tax Plan Does Little for NM’s Middle Class
Average New Mexicans would not benefit much from President Trump’s tax reform proposal, which would give the biggest tax breaks to New Mexico’s millionaires. That’s according to a report released recently by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP).
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ITEP Work in Action January 30, 2017 New Mexico Voices for Children: NM’s Working Families Tax Credits
As a group, those who claim the EITC and WFTC pay a large share of their incomes in taxes. In fact, in addition to the federal payroll taxes they pay,… -
ITEP Work in Action January 21, 2015 New Mexico Voices for Children: Why the poor pay the highest tax rate in New Mexico–and one step toward a fix
It’s widely agreed that the poorest among us should not pay the highest tax rate, but in New Mexico (as in most states) they do. State and local taxes—particularly sales… -
ITEP Work in Action November 3, 2014 New Mexico Voices for Children: Expanding New Mexico’s Working Families Tax Credit Would Generate Economic Activity and Help Hard-Working Families
New Mexico’s Working Families Tax Credit not only lifts tens of thousands of low-income families out of poverty each year, it also generates economic activity because the money is spent… -
ITEP Work in Action July 31, 2014 New Mexico Voices for Children: New Mexico’s Capital Gains Deduction: A Capital Loss for New Mexicans
Legislation enacted in 2003 that allows New Mexicans with capital gains income to deduct half of that income from their state taxes has failed as an economic development tool. Further,… -
ITEP Work in Action July 31, 2014 New Mexico Voices for Children: Citizen’s Guide to New Mexico’s Tax System
Citizen’s Guide to the New Mexico State BudgetThis guide focuses on the operating budget—the annual spending for ongoing programs and services that affect the lives of every New Mexico resident.… -
ITEP Work in Action January 15, 2013 New Mexico Voices for Children: Immigrants and the New Mexico Economy: Working Hard for Low Wages
The current debate over immigration – and particularly over immigrants without legal residency status – often centers on whether or not this group of people contributes to the economy or… -
ITEP Work in Action January 14, 2013 New Mexico Voices for Children: Revenue Generators
The current debate over immigration – and particularly over immigrants without legal residency status – often centers on whether or not this group of people contributes to the economy or…