The RISN calculates a household budget for families with two young children, and for single adults. The no-frills budget includes the costs of housing, food, transportation, health care, child care and other necessities including clothing, toiletries and telephone service. The RISN also demonstrates how work supports like food assistance, tax credits, and child care and health care subsidies help close the gap between income and basic need expenses. By taking all of these factors into account, the RISN provides a more realistic measure of the economic security of Rhode Islanders than the federal poverty level.
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 December 20, 2018 Economic Progress Institute: Rhode Island Standard of Need
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ITEP Work in Action October 17, 2018 Uprise RI: Low-income Taxpayers in Rhode Island Pay Over 50 Percent More in Taxes Than the Wealthiest
There’s a practical reason for Rhode Island and all states to be concerned about regressive tax structures, according to ITEP. If the nation fails to address growing income inequality, states will have difficulty raising the revenue they need over time. The more income that goes to the wealthy (and the lower a state’s overall tax rate on the wealthy), the slower a state’s revenue grows over time.
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ITEP Work in Action March 7, 2018 Economic Progress Institute: Changes in Federal Tax Law Will Cut Taxes for Many Rhode Islanders; Wealthiest Families and Corporations Benefit the Most
To help explain what the Act will mean for Rhode Island, the Economic Progress Institute released a paper entitled “Changes in federal tax law will cut taxes for many Rhode Islanders; wealthiest families and corporations benefit the most.”
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ITEP Work in Action January 30, 2018 Economic Progress Institute: Budget Matters: Making Rhode Island’s Tax Structure More Equitable and Adequate
For Rhode Island to achieve its potential as a first-class place to live and do business we need to ensure that we have the public services and amenities that enhance the quality of life and work in our state. Rhode Islanders make a collective investment through taxes, fees, and other forms of revenue to fund the services that businesses and residents count on.
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ITEP Work in Action July 20, 2017 Economic Progress Institute: Trump Tax Plan Would Mostly Benefit Wealthiest Rhode Island Taxpayers
A new analysis from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy reveals a federal tax reform plan based on President Trump’s April outline would fail to deliver on its promise of largely helping middle-class taxpayers, showering 61.4 percent of the total tax cut on the richest 1 percent nationwide. In Rhode Island, the top 1 percent of the state’s residents would receive an average tax cut of $86,610 compared with an average tax cut of just $430 for the bottom 60 percent of taxpayers in the state.
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ITEP Work in Action March 19, 2017 The Economic Progress Institute: Understanding Rhode Island’s Motor Vehicle Tax
The Motor Vehicle Tax (commonly known as the “Car Tax”) is a property tax collected by each Rhode Island municipality based on the value of each motor vehicle owned. There… -
ITEP Work in Action January 10, 2017 The Economic Progress Institute: Rhode Island Standard of Need
The Economic Progress Institute publishes the Rhode Island Standard of Need (RISN) to answer two fundamental questions: What is the cost of meeting basic needs for families and individuals… -
ITEP Work in Action April 29, 2015 Economic Progress Institute: Few Winners and Many Losers in RI Tax Reform
The budget passed by the House Finance committee made three significant tax policy changes that will impact the income of tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders. The estate tax, earned… -
ITEP Work in Action March 18, 2015 The Economic Progress Institute: Making Work Pay for Working Families: Increasing the State’s Earned Income Tax Credit
Workers who receive the EITC pay federal payroll taxes, sales and property taxes, and more. In fact, Rhode Island has the 5th highest taxes on low-income households in the nation.… -
ITEP Work in Action February 2, 2015 Economic Progress Institute: Making Work Pay for Working Families
Rhode Islanders who work full-time should be able to support their families. Yet, far too many are struggling to pay for housing, heat, food, and health care. Increasing Rhode Island’s… -
ITEP Work in Action January 16, 2015 Economic Progress Institute: Making Work Pay for Working Families: Increasing the State’s Earned Income Tax Credit
Rhode Islanders who work full-time should be able to support their families. Yet, far too many are struggling to pay for housing, heat, food, and health care. Increasing Rhode Island’s… -
ITEP Work in Action December 19, 2014 Economic Progress Institute: 2014 Rhode Island Standard of Need
What it costs to live and raise a family in Rhode Island and how work supports help families meet basic needs Rhode Island is a beautiful state with sandy beaches,… -
ITEP Work in Action April 14, 2014 Economic Progress Institute: Improve Rhode Island’s Earned Income Tax Credit to Help Hard-working Rhode Islanders
Rhode Island is among 25 states and the District of Columbia that offer a state EITC, but unlike most states, the credit is only partially refundable. Just over 83,000 Rhode… -
ITEP Work in Action May 16, 2013 Economic Progress Institute: It is time to turn up volume on silent spending
To ensure Rhode Island uses its available resources in the most effective way possible, it’s time to subject tax breaks, that cost the State over $1.7 billion a year, to… -
ITEP Work in Action May 16, 2013 Economic Progress Institute: Enhancing the Economic Security of Low-Income Working Rhode Islanders by Increasing the State’s Earned Income Tax Credit Refund
The Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) is widely recognized as an effective, short-term tool for lifting low-income working families out of poverty by encouraging work and supplementing low wages. Rhode… -
ITEP Work in Action January 14, 2013 Rhode Island Poverty Institute: Improving Equity, Adequacy, and Efficiency in Rhode Island’s Tax Structure
This issue brief explains the importance of a sound tax system, with recommendations on improving the equity, adequacy and efficiency of Rhode Island tax structure. -
ITEP Work in Action January 14, 2013 Rhode Island Poverty Institute: Tax Incentive Disclosure and Accountability
“During the 2008 General Assembly session, legislation was enacted to require greater disclosure and accountability of tax credits received by corporations. The legislation required that information about six tax credits… -
ITEP Work in Action January 14, 2013 The Poverty Institute: Rhode Island’s Hidden Spending: Tax Expenditures
Tax expenditures result in very large revenue losses to the state. Over the years, Rhode Island has given up billions of dollars in potential tax revenue through tax expenditures. Every… -
ITEP Work in Action January 14, 2013 The Poverty Institute: A 21st Century Sales Tax Why Governor Chafee’s plan to modernize the sales tax is necessary
Rhode Island must modernize its antiquated sales tax in order to maintain investments in public services that improve our quality of life, protect our families and businesses, and help grow… -
ITEP Work in Action December 17, 2012 Economic Progress Institute: A More Modern Day Sales Tax
“Rhode Island must continue to update its out of-date sales tax to be able to make investments in education, public safety, transportation and the other services that are necessary to… -
ITEP Work in Action December 17, 2012 Economic Progress Institute: Raising Revenue from High-Income Households in Rhode Island
“Rhode Island residents and businesses make a collective investment in our state by contributing towards the cost of public services and amenities that help create jobs and enhance our quality…