ITEP Work in Action
The Commonwealth Institute: How the Governor’s Proposal Increases Taxes for Low-Income Families, Gives Significant Cuts to the Wealthy
January 23, 2024
When we all pitch in our fair share, we can invest in the programs and services that help everyone to thrive, like public education, affordable housing, and more. But Virginia’s tax code is upside-down, where those with the most pay the least taxes as a share of income.
The Commonwealth Institute: Cutting Top Personal Income Tax Boosts the Wealthy, Excludes People with Lower Incomes
June 6, 2023
With no budget compromise yet from the Virginia General Assembly, $1 billion in untargeted tax cuts that mostly benefit the wealthy and profitable corporations are still on the table. Read more.
The Commonwealth Institute: Support Virginia Families Through a Commonwealth Kids Credit
January 17, 2023
True economic prosperity means that families are doing well and have the resources and opportunity to thrive. By coming together, people in Virginia have won an improved Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), increased minimum wage, and expanded workers rights in recent years — policy wins that lift families up. Yet more must be done to […]
Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission: Options to Make Virginia’s Individual Income Tax More Progressive
October 24, 2022
Though Virginia has substantially reduced taxes for low and lower-middle income filers, it could further reduce the tax burden for these filers and make the income tax even more progressive. Read more.
The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis: Gas Tax Proposal Misses the Mark
March 29, 2022
Earlier this month, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a new policy proposal to suspend the state’s 26-cents per gallon gas tax for three months and to cap gas tax rates in future years. If enacted, this policy is likely to miss the mark on helping families in Virginia who are struggling with higher costs, while […]
The Commonwealth Institute: Youngkin Administration’s Proposals Would Sharply Reduce State Resources, Largely Exclude Working Families with the Lowest Incomes
February 7, 2022
The Youngkin administration’s tax plan would leave out nearly 80 percent of the over 800,000 taxpayers in Virginia who have incomes below $24,000. Gov. Youngkin’s proposed changes would also sharply reduce state General Fund revenues — the portion of the state budget over which lawmakers have the most discretion and which primarily goes toward funding […]
The Commonwealth Institute: Tax Proposals Would Reduce Resources for Education, Transportation, and Other Priorities
December 8, 2021
The incoming Youngkin administration and state lawmakers have proposed several major tax proposals to reduce taxes for individuals and businesses. These include one-time tax rebates, dramatically increasing the state standard deduction, eliminating the state and local sales tax on groceries, and pausing the recent increase to the fuels tax. While some of these policy ideas […]
The Commonwealth Institute: Tax Policy in Virginia
September 24, 2021
Black and Latinx people face tremendous barriers in areas like employment, education, and housing. These barriers include explicitly racist policies like school segregation as well as policies that appear “race-neutral” yet reinforce or exacerbate racially inequitable outcomes. Virginia’s upside-down tax code is no different. A more progressive and racially equitable tax code — one that […]
Commonwealth Institute: State Funding Proposals Include Regressive Tax Increases – Many without Offsets
February 21, 2020
Although many significant state (Virginia) tax policy bills filed for this year did not move beyond the committee level, several proposals remain under consideration. A large transportation funding package (HB 1414 and SB 890) and several standalone regional transportation funding bills have advanced from their respective chambers in the Virginia General Assembly. In addition, proposed […]
The Half Sheet: Over 1 Million Virginia Taxpayers Expected to Miss Out on Refund Checks
September 11, 2019
If everything goes according to schedule, Virginia’s tax department will begin issuing $110 refund checks – $220 for joint filers – to Virginia taxpayers beginning next week and continuing through the first half of October. The checks are the result of tax legislation signed into law earlier this year. Unfortunately, not every tax filer will […]
WVTF: Study: State Taxes Have Disproportionate Impact On Lower Income Virginians
October 19, 2018
Virginians who make the least amount of money pay 40 percent more taxes as a percent of their income than the wealthiest Virginians. That’s according to a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, which says Virginia’s tax code is upside down.
The Half Sheet: Virginia’s Tax System Is Upside Down
October 17, 2018
Virginia’s state and local taxes help to shape economic opportunity across the state. That’s because state and local revenues pay for the building blocks of thriving communities: schools, roads, libraries, and other public services. Unfortunately, the current state and local tax system is upside down. Families in Virginia have taxes withheld from their paychecks, and they also pay taxes when they shop at local businesses, buy groceries, or fill their gas tanks. But updated analysis from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) shows that Virginia’s low- and moderate-income households pay a higher share of their incomes toward state…
The Commonwealth Institute: On Federal Tax Changes, Virginia Should Continue to Conform
June 4, 2018
Although some filers would pay more in state taxes under conformity, many of the highest-income filers – the top one percent – will receive large state tax cuts. This is in addition to also receiving a large federal tax cut. Recent analysis of the effects in Virginia shows that the top 1 percent will receive […]
The Commonwealth Institute: Dream Act Would Boost Virginia Families, Communities, State Economy, and Tax Revenues; Revoking DACA Hurts All
December 20, 2017
There are 30,000 young immigrants who were potentially eligible for DACA and call Virginia home. They currently contribute a total of $29.3 million to local and state taxes annually through sales and excise taxes, property taxes and income tax. Read more here
Commonwealth Institute: Average Virginian Families Provided a Pittance from GOP-Trump Tax Plan, Top 1% Would See Windfall
October 17, 2017
Who in Virginia would benefit from the type of tax cuts proposed by the Trump administration and congressional Republicans? New analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy released in October shows that nearly 80 percent of all of the tax cuts in Virginia would go to the top 1 percent–households with an average of income of $1.7 million...
The Commonwealth Institute: We Need More than Wishful Thinking: A Closer Look at the Candidates’ Tax Plans
September 15, 2017
Issue platforms by the current candidates for Virginia governor, including Republican candidate Ed Gillespie, Libertarian candidate Cliff Hyra, and Democratic candidate Ralph Northam, include proposals to modify or eliminate Virginia’s local business taxes, modify Virginia’s individual income tax, and eliminate the state portion of Virginia’s sales tax on groceries. All of these proposals would reduce local or state revenue collections.
DC Fiscal Policy Institute, Maryland Center on Economic Policy, and The Commonwealth Institute: Triple Whammy: A Regional Sales Tax for Metro, Like Fare Hikes and Service Cuts, Would Fall Hardest on Struggling Families
August 28, 2017
A strong Metro system is important to all of us in the Washington region. And everyone agrees that the Metro system needs new resources to rebuild its health. But a regional sales tax—a widely discussed option—would be an unfair way to pay for it.
The Commonwealth Institute: Working, Paying Taxes, Hitting Barriers
April 24, 2017
Unauthorized immigrants in Virginia contribute more than $250 million each year in state and local taxes. That’s a lot of money. But they could contribute even more – nearly $100 million more – if they received lawful work permits and relief from fear of immigration enforcement, policy changes lawmakers could begin to address for the […]
The Half Sheet: You Can’t Cut Your Way to Prosperity
March 17, 2017
Virginia’s tax system is upside down. Regular Virginians pay a higher share of their income in state and local taxes than the wealthy and powerful. An array of recently proposed schemes to give new handouts to the wealthy and powerful would make it even more unfair. Virginians can’t afford that. As part of our work […]
The Commonwealth Institute: Room for Improvement
January 22, 2016
“Virginia households with an average annual income of $59,000 would save an average of just $6.45 per year – less than the price of a movie ticket. And households making roughly $14,000 a year would save an average of only $1.32 per year per household. That’s barely enough to buy the local newspaper. In fact, […]
The Commonwealth Institute: Math that Works for All of Us
April 21, 2015
All told, undocumented Virginians currently pay $240.4 million a year in taxes to Virginia and its localities. That’s a 6.5 percent effective tax rate for the typical undocumented immigrant household. By comparison, the highest-income 1 percent of Virginia households pay an effective tax rate of just 5.1 percent. But the amount of taxes that could […]
The Commonwealth Institute: Low-Income Taxpayers in Virginia Pay Higher Rate Than the Rich
January 21, 2015
The lowest income Virginians pay 74 percent more in taxes as a percent of their income compared to the state’s wealthiest residents, according to a new study released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). The study, Who Pays?, analyzes tax systems in all 50 states and factors in all major state […]
Center for American Progess: The Real Cost of Cuccinelli
September 23, 2013
Besides working on these major research projects, I developed CTJ/ITEP’s strong online media presence. One of the most important roles I play is as the primary web manager for both CTJ and ITEP. Similarly, over the past two years I successfully initiated and then maintained CTJ and ITEP’s social media presence. Center for American Progress […]
The Commonwealth Institute: Immigration Reform Generates Revenue
July 10, 2013
State and local tax contributions of undocumented immigrants in Virginia would increase 42 percent to $259.6 million from $183 million under immigration reform, according to a new report released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Nationally, state and local contributions would increase by more than $2 billion. Read the Full Report
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 […]
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