On the Map - Policy Briefs
How Local Governments Raise Revenue — and What it Means for Tax Equity
December 5, 2024 • By Galen Hendricks, Rita Jefferson
Local taxes are key to thriving communities. One in seven tax dollars in the U.S.—about $886 billion annually—is levied by local governments in support of education, infrastructure, public health, and other priorities. Three fourths of this funding comes from property taxes, 18 percent comes from sales and excise taxes, and six percent comes from income taxes.
How Local Governments Raise Revenue—and What it Means for Tax Equity
March 30, 2023 • By Andrew Boardman, Kamolika Das
Most local tax systems are falling short of their potential. Well-structured local tax policies support communities by facilitating important investments and advancing fairness, but the tax revenue sources most utilized by local governments tend to disproportionately weigh on households with fewer resources. Learning from these realities can inform the path to improved tax policies and stronger communities.
Boosting Incomes and Improving Tax Equity with State Earned Income Tax Credits in 2022
September 15, 2022 • By Aidan Davis
States continued their recent trend of advancing EITCs in 2022, with nine states plus the District of Columbia either creating or improving their credits. Utah enacted a 15 percent nonrefundable EITC, while the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Vermont and Virginia expanded existing credits. Meanwhile, Connecticut, New York and Oregon provided one-time boosts to their EITC-eligible populations.
More States are Boosting Economic Security with Child Tax Credits in 2022
September 15, 2022 • By Aidan Davis
After years of being limited in reach, there is increasing momentum at the state level to adopt and expand Child Tax Credits. Today ten states are lifting the household incomes of families with children through yearly multi-million-dollar investments in the form of targeted, and usually refundable, CTCs.
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