Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP)

Citations

ITEP's Citations Research Priorities

Washington Post: Here’s How the Claims in the Ron DeSantis-Gavin Newsom Debate hold Up

December 3, 2023

The 90-minute “red state-blue state” debate hosted by Sean Hannity of Fox News featured a blizzard of statistics by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). Here’s a quick guide to some of the more noteworthy claims and whether they stand up to scrutiny. Read more.

TIME: Who Really Won in the DeSantis-Newsom Debate

December 3, 2023

If hurling insults, distorting facts, and pandering to Americans’ worst instincts are the hallmarks of leadership, then Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis emerged the winner in the debate with California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Read more.

State policymakers nationwide have embarked on a tax-cutting spree over the past three years, using the cover of temporary budget surpluses stemming from robust federal aid in response to COVID-19 and the economic recovery that followed. The tax cuts — most of which are both permanent and tilted toward wealthy households and corporations — will […]

The Week: America Doesn’t Have a Wealth Tax. The Supreme Court Might Kill It Anyway.

November 29, 2023

Remember the wealth tax? It was a centerpiece of Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign, but the proposal — like her candidacy — didn’t end up going anywhere. But just because America doesn’t actually have a wealth tax doesn’t mean the Supreme Court can’t rule it out of bounds. It just might do so, The Associated Press reported, […]

Thank you Chairman Womack, Ranking Member Hoyer, and the subcommittee staff, especially Matt Smith and Philip Tizzani, for all the work that you do. This Financial Services and General Government bill put forth by the majority is unacceptable. The Republicans propose cutting critical agencies the American people depend on for a stable, secure, safe, and […]

The announcement that the NC Supreme Court will rehear the court case that affirmed children’s constitutional right to a sound, basic education is just another way in which North Carolina’s legislative leaders are attempting to rewrite the rules to further their agenda rather than the well-being of children. Read more.

Under Kentucky’s constitution, there are limits on the types of taxes the General Assembly may authorize local governments to levy, and local sales taxes are not allowed. The 2024 General Assembly may take the first step toward changing that if it considers an amendment to the constitution that would grant the legislature broader authority on […]

Policy Matters Ohio: Tax Policy For the People

November 10, 2023 • By ITEP Staff

Every family in Ohio should be able to afford healthy food, a safe home, health care and the other elements of a good life. Ohio has the resources to make this a reality. Too often, however, our elected officials choose to use those resources to enrich their already wealthy supporters and do whatever else it […]

The Lever: The TurboTax Scam

November 9, 2023

Tax prep companies claim a government-run direct-file system would be expensive — but it could cost less than the federal subsidies going to the industry. Read more.

Bloomberg: Election-Day Ballot Measures Offer Preview of 2024 Fights

November 6, 2023

Ahead of next year’s presidential election, voters will weigh state and local proposals on abortion, taxes and housing. Read more.

The federal and DC governments tax income from wealth more favorably than income from work. This preferential treatment means we under tax the most well-off, tax their wealth less often, and, in some cases, allow them to accumulate fortunes and pass vast sums of wealth to heirs tax-free. Read more.

While Halloween comes around only once a year, Republicans can’t help but tell terrifying stories about scary brown people all year long. Of course, these horror stories are complete lies, yet we still see and hear them in campaign speeches, tweets, and Congressional hearings. Let’s debunk five of the worst lies about immigrants. Read more.

News and Tribune (Indiana): Editorial: Raising Sales Tax Would Hurt Poor Hoosiers

November 1, 2023

With statewide elections on the doorstep, some 2024 candidates are playing on a familiar ploy in calling for a reduction or an end to Indiana’s income tax. The most popular idea floated by those who are campaigning on the proposal, including current lieutenant governor and gubernatorial hopeful Suzanne Crouch, is to replace a sizable portion […]

New York Times: Why Do We Enrich Older Americans at the Expense of Everyone Else?

October 26, 2023

We older Americans are not only controlling national politics, we are consuming an ever larger share of our economy’s resources through programs like Social Security and Medicare, leaving younger Americans to foot growing bills for their parents’ and grandparents’ retirements. And politicians of both parties are refusing to recognize the consequences. Read more.

Stateline: Blue and Red States Slash Taxes Despite Warnings of Hard Times Ahead

October 25, 2023

Since 2021, half the states have cut personal income tax rates. Read more.

Moore v. US, which is set to be heard by the Supreme Court on December 5th, threatens to deliver a major victory to multinational corporations and billionaires hoping to avoid paying their fair share in taxes. Read more.

TIME: How Giant Corporations Can Still Get Out of Paying Taxes

October 23, 2023

For decades, multinational corporations—especially those based in the U.S.—have funneled billions of dollars in profits to tax havens, earning even more money for their shareholders. Read more.

ITEP’s Carl Davis: Who Pays New Mexico Taxes?

October 22, 2023 • By Carl Davis

ITEP Research Director Carl Davis gave a presentation on New Mexico’s tax system to that state’s Revenue Stabilization and Tax Policy Committee on October 19, 2023. Click here for the slide deck.

We all benefit when everyday Texans, regardless of where we live or what we look like, have a fair opportunity to prosper. Contrarily, a state tax system designed to favor the ultra-wealthy undermines all of us. In Texas, the wealth gap is so extreme that 66 billionaires living in the state own more wealth than 70% […]

Video: Tax Policy Experts Warn Indiana Tax Force Drastic Cuts Could Hurt Lowest-Earning Hoosiers

October 21, 2023

As Indiana seems poised to restructure its tax system in the next few years, some policy experts are urging the State and Local Tax Task Force not to make drastic cuts to the state’s individual income tax. Read more and watch the video featuring ITEP’s Neva Butkus here.

Today ITEP State Policy Analyst Neva Butkus presented to the Indiana State and Local Tax Review Task Force. For a related blog from Neva, click here. For her slide deck, click here. Good morning members of the State and Local Tax Review Task Force, Thank you for providing me the opportunity to share ITEP’s findings […]

Wall Street Journal: How Will States Pay for Roads When Gas Taxes Evaporate?

October 20, 2023

As electric vehicles become more popular and gasoline sales decline, governments are struggling to find new ways to fund infrastructure. Read more.

St. Louis Magazine: Why Can’t St. Louis City Tax People Like 94 Percent of U.S. Localities Do?

October 17, 2023

Even if the city wanted to scrap its 1% earnings tax and make the property tax dominant—as it is nationwide—conservative state laws block it. Read more.

Tulsa World: Eliminating State Income Tax Faces Same Challenges It Did More Than Two Decades Ago

October 16, 2023

More than 20 years ago, during Frank Keating’s second term as governor, he proposed replacing the state’s individual income tax, its sales tax on groceries and its business franchise tax with a 5.9% tax on some 200 additional business activities, from hair cuts to house sales. Oklahomans liked the idea of no income tax, but […]

Forbes: Mapping Billionaire Wealth: Where The Richest Americans Live Now Vs. Two Decades Ago

October 15, 2023

Extreme wealth has been consolidating in the United States. Read more.