Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

ITEP Work in Action

New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute: Elimination of the Interest and Dividends Tax Would Disproportionately Benefit High-Income Individuals

May 21, 2021

A new analysis of the proposed elimination of New Hampshire’s Interest and Dividends Tax shows nearly nine out of every ten dollars of the tax reduction would flow to the top 20 percent of income earners in New Hampshire, and almost half of the benefits would flow to the top one percent of income earners. […]

Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center: Ending the Tax Penalty Against Working Immigrants: MA Should Follow Other States Extending EITC to Immigrant Tax Filers

May 17, 2021

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a key program for reducing poverty in the United States. Together with the federal Child Tax Credit, these low-income federal credits lifted 7.5 million households above the poverty line in 2019, more than any other program except Social Security. In Massachusetts, the EITC provides support to more than […]

Open Sky Policy Institute: LB 64: A costly measure that is unlikely to impact retiree migration

May 11, 2021

LB 64, a bill slated for second-round debate on today’s legislative agenda, is a costly measure that would give wealthy retirees a sizable tax break under the premise of keeping them from fleeing to other states. Few retirees, however, are likely to flee regardless of what happens to our tax code and those who do […]

Open Sky Policy Institute: Policy brief — LB 432: A big tax cut for corporations

May 6, 2021

LB 432, which will soon be up for debate on select file, would give a sizable tax cut to corporations and their shareholders. The vast majority of the tax cut would go out of state and the revenue losses created by the bill would threaten services that Nebraskans need. Read more

Open Sky Policy Institute: Policy Brief — LR 11CA presents a dangerous, untested proposal

May 5, 2021

Under the proposed 10.64% tax rate, and with the allowance, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) finds that all income groups would receive a tax cut on average, with the exception of the second-lowest quintile — those with incomes between $24,000 and $38,800 — who would pay 2.4% more of their income in […]

Washington Governor’s Office: Inslee signs economic justice legislation to help working families

May 4, 2021

Gov. Jay Inslee today signed an economic justice legislative package, including the Working Families Tax Credit and the capital gains excise tax, that starts the process of making Washington’s upside-down tax system fairer and more equitable. Read more

Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy: House Bill 389 and Idaho’s Property Tax Circuit Breaker

May 4, 2021

House Bill 389 is a complicated bill that would affect many different components of the Idaho property tax statute. Revenue from property taxes, both for real property and business personal property, support local public services – such as roads, courts, and schools. Property taxes are regressive, meaning they fall harder on lower-income Idahoans than others. […]

Arizona Center for Economic Progress: The flat tax falls flat for most Arizonans

April 28, 2021

The Arizona legislature is poised to permanently cut over a billion dollars in state revenues, the largest tax cut in the last three decades. This cut will make Arizona’s tax system more regressive than it is today with 91 percent of the tax cuts going to people in the top 20 percent of incomes. Read […]

Movement for Black Lives (M4BL): Restructure Tax Codes

April 28, 2021

The current taxation system exacerbates economic and racial disparities rather than generating sufficient revenue to be redistributed for the common good. Billionaires and corporations benefit from subsidies and tax breaks to accumulate wealth while avoiding taxation. Meanwhile low-income people and communities, who are disproportionately Black, are targeted for higher taxes and more aggressive enforcement of […]

Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy: Analysis and Considerations Related to House Bill 380

April 26, 2021

The Idaho Legislature is considering a proposal that would reduce the number of income tax brackets from seven to five, cut income and corporate tax rates and provide a one-time tax rebate. HB380 is a revised version of HB332, with one significant change, the elimination of two tax brackets, which serves to make Idaho’s tax […]

New Jersey Policy Perspective: Blueprint to Secure a Just Recovery

April 24, 2021

In 2017, New Jersey Policy Perspective released the Blueprint for Economic Justice and Shared Prosperity. It charted a course forward for the state after decades of short-sighted policymaking that exacerbated racial disparities, spread economic inequality, and weakened our ability to address emergent problems. Now, as we begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and recession, […]

Washington Center for Equitable Growth: Weekend reading: Inequities in U.S. taxation and homeownership edition

April 23, 2021

Homeowners of color who sell their homes receive lower prices due to such factors as reduced neighborhood school quality, but they pay the same property taxes because these factors are not incorporated into tax assessments. Black and Hispanic homeowners also face discrimination in assessment appeals. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy explains the regressivity […]

NC Policy Watch: NC needs to fix its tax code to secure a just recovery — for everyone

April 23, 2021

North Carolina’s current tax code asks the top to pay less as a share of their income than taxpayers with poverty-level incomes. By putting in place tax policies that would ask just 1 percent of North Carolinians to pay slightly more, North Carolina can invest in a more equitable, just recovery for everyone. Read more

Policy Matters Ohio: House Budget chooses tax cuts over more support for key public programs

April 15, 2021

The 2022-23 state budget presents Ohio lawmakers with an opportunity to rebuild communities so all people, no matter what they look like or how much money they have, can thrive and succeed. But instead of using all available options to support communities, the Ohio House Republican majority proposed a budget that would cut income taxes […]

California Budget & Policy Center: Promoting Racial Equity Through California’s Tax and Revenue Policies

April 15, 2021

Legacies of historical racist policies and ongoing discrimination in areas such as education, employment, and housing have barred many Californians of color from economic opportunities. As a result, Californians of color — particularly Black, Latinx, and American Indian Californians — are less likely to have high incomes and to have built enough wealth to be […]

NC Policy Watch: Some simple truths about the taxes corporations pay and Biden’s proposal blow the whistle on them

April 14, 2021

Discovery No. 1 one is that almost no major U.S. corporation, certainly not those that do business overseas, actually pays the 21% corporate tax rate, set by law. In fact, on average, Fortune 500 companies pay about half that much – 11.3% according to the non-profit Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy and Taxation, working […]

NC Policy Watch: New report: NC tax policy promotes racial inequities in numerous ways

April 14, 2021

North Carolina’s tax code and budget are wrought with such policy choices, which can result in racist outcome that worsen barriers to well-being for people and communities of color, according to new data from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). The greater tax load carried by Black, Indigenous, and Latinx residents has been […]

Arizona Center for Economic Progress: Arizona’s regressive tax policy contributes significantly to economic and racial injustice

April 13, 2021

Tax policy plays a role in the fight for economic and racial justice. The type of tax and how it is structured matters. A new report issued by the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), Taxes and Racial Equity , explains how historical and contemporary policy choices have resulted in tax codes that maintain […]

North Carolina Justice Center: State Tax Policy Is Not Race Neutral

April 13, 2021

North Carolina’s tax code and budget are wrought with such policy choices, which can result in racist outcomes that worsen barriers to well-being for people and communities of color, according to new data from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). The greater tax load carried by Black, Indigenous, and Latinx residents has been […]

Oregon Center for Public Policy: A better reality for Oregonians requires flipping the tax system

April 7, 2021

As vaccines for COVID-19 make their way into the arms of Americans, a sense of normality feels within reach. But going back to normal is not what working Oregonians need. We need a reimagined sense of “normal” – one in which workers get paid living wages and the rich pay their fair share. When you […]

Louisiana Budget Project: Who Pays? Racial Injustice in Louisiana’s Tax System

April 5, 2021

Historic and current injustices – both in public policy and in society more broadly – have resulted in vast disparities in income across race and ethnicity in Louisiana. Unfortunately, our tax system plays an active role in worsening these disparities by asking those with the least to contribute the largest share of their income to […]

Inequality.org: Sales Taxes Widen the Racial Wealth Divide. States and Cities Have Far Better Options.

April 2, 2021

The public discourse over inequality and racial disparities has rightly shifted to how to dismantle structural challenges that create these gross inequities. Addressing racial disparities will require a concerted effort by government across all policy areas. A new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) offers some perspective on how state and […]

West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy: Senate Income Tax Cut Plan is More of the Same: Tax Cuts for the Wealthy, Tax Increases and Budget Cuts for Everyone Else

March 31, 2021

This week, the Senate Finance Committee took up HB 3300, the House’s income tax cut plan, and made significant changes before quickly passing it out of committee. Unlike the House plan, which phased out the income tax over time with no revenue offsets, the Senate’s plan is more similar to the governor’s proposal, making a […]

California Budget & Policy Center: American Rescue Plan Provides Assistance to Millions of Californians

March 30, 2021

This latest round of federal fiscal relief will help reduce hardship as a result of the pandemic, particularly for Californians with low incomes and people of color, and begins to set the stage for a more equitable economic recovery. This report outlines key provisions of the plan and what it means for Californians. Read more

Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy: Analysis and Considerations Related to House Bill 332

March 18, 2021

The Idaho Legislature is considering a proposal that would cut income and corporate tax rates and provide a one-time tax rebate. Under the proposal, the tax benefits from this proposed legislation are heavily lopsided. Taking all provisions into account, households with very modest earnings would receive a $78 average tax cut, and the top 1 […]

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.