Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

ITEP Work in Action

Tennesseans for Fair Taxation: Tax Modernization & Economic Stimulus Act

January 15, 2013

This plan will provide much needed tax breaks to 60% of Tennesseans, those low- and middle-income families most likely to put that money back into the local economy. For example:     -A family of four making $20,000 will save over $550 per year.    -A family of four making $35,000 will save over $700 per year.    […]

Oregon Center for Public Policy: No Special Treatment: Seven Reasons Why Oregon Should Not Reduce or Eliminate the Income Tax on Capital Gains

January 15, 2013

This issue brief examines seven reasons why giving special treatment to income from capital gains is a terrible idea: it would not stimulate additional economic growth, it would not attract much venture capital, it would waste millions chasing after the few Oregonians who move to Washington to avoid Oregon income taxes, it would mainly benefit […]

Mississippi Economic Policy Center: Investing for Growth, Enhancing Our Prospects: Tax Reform in Mississippi

January 15, 2013

In any given year, the state of Mississippi and its residents accomplish a lot. Through the collective investment of our tax dollars, we maintain over 10,000 miles of roads, help educate more than 800,000 children and adults from kindergarten to university and support more than 7,000 law enforcement officers in our local communities. With tax […]

Indiana Association for Community Economic Development: Indiana Property Taxes: Is Property Tax Relief or Tax Restructuring the Solution?

January 15, 2013

Many Indiana communities are once again experiencing what is perceived to be a property tax “crisis.” However, by its most common definition, a crisis implies a situation that is characterized by unexpectedness and sudden change. Although the drastic increase in property tax bills is sudden for many homeowners, the implementation of Indiana’s property tax assessment […]

Center for Tax and Budget Accountability: Issue Brief: Why Taxation in Illinois is Unfair

January 15, 2013

Tax policy is by its nature a contentious subject. In the end, individuals pay different proportions of their incomes in taxes to fund public services and a completely different matrix of individuals used those services. Given this dichotomy, establishing a definition of what constitutes the most fair way to levy taxes that is acceptable to […]

Center for Tax and Budget Accountability: Citizens Guide to the Illinois State Budget & Tax System

January 15, 2013

The Illinois State Budget is the state’s fundamental policy document. It defines what programs and services will receive financial support from the state. In a standard, non-overtime legislative year, Illinois adopts its budget on a fiscal year basis, beginning on July 1 of each calendar year and ending on June 31 of the next succeeding […]

New Jersey Policy Perspective: Gas Tax Talk Leads Down the Right Road

January 15, 2013

In the wake of restructuring proposals made by Governor Corzine, the gasoline tax is starting to be talked about as part of a solution to New Jersey’s financial crisis. This is a welcome development. For too long, New Jersey has shied away from greater use of gas taxes and other driving-related fees, to the detriment […]

Iowa Fiscal Partnership: Putting Fairness First: Questions for Financing State and Local Government in Iowa

January 15, 2013

As state legislators close out the 2008 legislative session and confront the tasks of maintaining commitments and investing in Iowa’s future, they will have to deal with a basic question: How is the budget gap to be financed? Each financing decision has a different set of consequences for Iowans at different income levels. This means […]

Economic Opportunity Institute: Fairer Taxes for Washington: Taxing High Incomes to Reduce Regressive Taxes and Improve Public Services

January 15, 2013

Washington State’s seventy year-old tax structure is built on an ever-shrinking base, and taxes fall most heavily on those least able to afford them. This discussion brief outlines options for a limited tax on the highest income households, coupled with a reduction in sales or property tax. The result would be a fairer tax system […]

Policy Matters Ohio: A Step Toward Fiscal Balance? Options for Ohio’s Income Tax

January 15, 2013

In the spring of 2008, Ohio’s state government finds itself in familiar territory – facing a budget shortfall because of an inadequate revenue system and a slowing economy. Despite the worsening economic outlook, state policy makers refuse to consider revenue-raising alternatives and are committed to allowing a scheduled cut in income tax rates to take […]

New Jersey Policy Perspective: Funding for Business Tax Breaks Shows Skewed Priorities

January 15, 2013

The Fiscal Year 2009 budget proposed by Gov. Jon Corzine increases spending on tax breaks for businesses—tax breaks of questionable value, as some recent developments highlight— while investments in more tried and true economic development tools suffer. More than ever, it is clear that New Jersey needs to spend state dollars in ways that invest […]

Oregon Center for Public Policy: The 2007 Kicker: Wrongheaded, Unjust, Costly, and a Federal Tax Increase

January 15, 2013

The “close of session” economic and revenue forecast released in late August by the Office of Economic Analysis confirmed that personal income tax revenues for the 2005-07 budget cycle exceeded the 2005 close of session forecast by 2 percent or more.1 Under Oregon law, the Department of Revenue will send – or “kick back” – […]

Agenda for Children: Building a Better Tax Cut: Alternative to SB87 Would Cut Taxes for Twice as Many Louisianans – at Half the Cost

January 15, 2013

On Wednesday, May 14, 2008, the House Ways and Means Committee approved SB 87, a measure originally sponsored by Senator Buddy Shaw and now backed by Governor Bobby Jindal. The measure would reduce state income taxes by close to $300 million per year, but a new analysis by the Washington, DC-based Institute on Taxation and […]

The Commonwealth Institute: The Road Less Taken: Creating Fair Taxes As Well As Better Highways

January 15, 2013

In the face of a funding crisis, Governor Kaine and the General Assembly face a difficult choice: Raise taxes and fees or enter into the next biennium with little money for the state’s expansive transportation system. A repeal of abusive driver fees and the Virginia Supreme Court’s ruling that regional components of the Transportation Funding […]

Center for Public Policy Priorities: The Best Choice for a Prosperous Texas: A Texas-Style Personal Income Tax

January 15, 2013

The quality of life in Texas depends on our producing a well-educated workforce that can meet the demands of a global economy. A strong and vibrant public education for all Texas children is an essential precondition for a prepared workforce and a prosperous, competitive economy. In fact, providing public education is one of the constitutionally […]

New Mexico Voices for Children: Immigrants and the New Mexico Economy: Working Hard for Low Wages

January 15, 2013

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 diminishes it. A 2006 Fiscal Policy Project report, “Undocumented Immigrants in New Mexico: State Tax Contributions and Fiscal Concerns,” concluded that undocumented immigrants contribute more […]

South Carolina Fair Share: A South Carolina Working Families Tax Credit: Rewarding Work and Building Wealth

January 15, 2013

A South Carolina Working Families Tax Credit would: -Lift more working South Carolinians out of poverty; -Relieve the growing burden of taxation on low and moderate income working South Carolinians; and -Encourage and reward work. Read the Full Report (PDF)

Oregon Center for Public Policy: No Gain, Just Pain: Most Oregonians Would Not Benefit from Measure 59, But They Would Lose Public Services

January 15, 2013

Measure 59, which would allow an unlimited deduction of federal income taxes on state tax returns, offers no tax break to more than three out of four Oregon taxpayers. And yet the measure’s hefty price tag — more than about 9 percent of General Fund revenues, each budget cycle — would force deep cuts in […]

Oregon Center for Public Policy: No Contest: Why Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit is Better for Working Families and Oregon than the Tax Bracket Increase

January 15, 2013

Next year, the Oregon Legislative Assembly may face two different income tax measures purporting to help working families. One plan, proposed by Republicans in the legislature, would double the size of Oregon’s two lowest income tax brackets, doubling the share of income that is taxed at 5 and 7 percent (hereinafter, the “Tax Bracket Increase”).[1] […]

Oklahoma Policy Institute: Oklahoma’s Tax Cuts: Who Benefits?

January 15, 2013

Tax cuts enacted between 2004 and 2006 will reduce Oklahoma’s revenues by more than $800 million when fully phased-in. Among the many tax cuts, the two largest involved cutting the top personal income tax rate and raising the standard deduction. Read the Full Report (PDF)

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: North Dakota’s Measure 2 is Imbalanced and Would Harm Efforts to Secure State’s Economic Future

January 15, 2013

North Dakota’s proposed Measure 2, a major change to the state’s income tax that will appear on the November ballot, would be detrimental to the state for three principal reasons: 1. Measure 2 is risky and short-sighted. 2. Measure 2 is imbalanced and would prevent broadbased tax changes that could benefit all North Dakota families. […]

Oklahoma Policy Institute: Giving Credit Where Credit is Due: Boosting the Grocery Tax Credit Would Provide Targeted Help for Struggling Families

January 15, 2013

The family budgets of low- and moderate-income Oklahomans are under increasing strain from the rapidly rising costs of such essentials as food, fuel and utilities. Food costs rose 5.9 percent over the past year, according to the government’s August inflation data. Price increases have been particularly steep for such dietary staples as dairy (6.4 percent […]

New Jersey Policy Perspective: What’s the Rush? Costly Tax Changes Need More Deliberation

January 15, 2013

In this atmosphere of emergency, some of the legislation is moving with less deliberation than might be expected of tax changes that, when fully implemented, would likely cost the state at least $400 million a year in lost revenue. That is in addition to declines in state sales and personal income tax revenue that New […]

Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center: The Common Good: What Pennsylvania’s Budget and Tax Policies Mean to You

January 15, 2013

Public investments make a difference. Your tax dollars combine with everyone else’s to educate our children, keep our communities safe, move people to work over roads and transit systems, and care for the disabled and poor. Read the Full Report (PDF)

Hawai’i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice: Tax Policies That Will Help End Poverty for Hawai’i’s Lowest Income Families

January 15, 2013

THIS REPORT RECOMMENDS that the State of Hawai‘i adopt two tax measures to address the needs of low income individuals and families: 1. A refundable Hawai‘i Earned Income Tax Credit. We propose the Hawai‘i EITC be fixed at 20 percent of the taxpayer’s federal refundable earned income tax credit. 2. A non-refundable Hawai‘i Poverty Tax […]

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.