Select Media Mentions
NBC News: Musk Uses Immigration and Claims of Voter Fraud to Sell Social Security Administration Cuts
March 19, 2025
Musk has cast the idea as one that’s primarily about immigration, falsely claiming that undocumented immigrants are fraudulently accessing hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of entitlements, including Social Security, Medicaid and disability programs, as part of a Democratic scheme for votes.
The Free Press: The Illegal Immigrants Who Love Trump
March 19, 2025
Many Americans don’t realize how much cash illegal immigrants contribute to the economy. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, “undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022,” using Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs). Though they aren’t eligible for tax benefits, like Social Security, many hope that making these payments will one day help their case for legalization.
CNN Video: ITEP’s Amy Hanauer on How DOGE’s Attack on the IRS Will Hurt Ordinary Taxpayers
March 17, 2025
ITEP Executive Director Amy Hanauer appeared on CNN on March 17, 2025 to discuss the ongoing attack by DOGE and Congress on the IRS.
Audio: ITEP’s Matt Gardner Discusses Maryland’s Tax and Budget Debate on WYPR
March 17, 2025
As the 2025 General Assembly reaches its midway point, the most pressing issue facing lawmakers is the state’s budget deficit. ITEP Senior Fellow Matt Gardner joined Midday to share the details of Gov. Wes Moore’s budget proposal. Listen to the full audio here.
Stateline: Child Tax Credits, Long a Liberal Priority, Find Favor In Republican States
March 17, 2025
Cash would flow directly into the hands of Ohio parents under a proposal from Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. As part of multibillion-dollar budget negotiations this session, Ohio lawmakers will consider the new refundable tax credit worth up to $1,000 per young child, to be paid for by an increase in tobacco taxes.
South Florida Sun Sentinel: Editorial: If Property Taxes are Doomed, an Income Tax is Fairer
March 15, 2025
Florida has a new and dubious distinction: The nation’s most unfair tax code. Gov. Ron DeSantis and some legislators aim to make it even worse. After years of ranking second or third, Florida is now considered the absolute worst in terms of how much less a percentage of their incomes Donald Trump and other wealthy […]
The Boston Globe: If the IRS Betrays Immigrants, We All Pay the Price
March 14, 2025
Millions of immigrants living in the country illegally still pay income taxes every year, contributing billions to federal, state, and local governments, often through the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number program (ITIN), which allows those without Social Security numbers to file returns. (Of course, immigrants — like everyone else — also pay sales taxes, gas taxes, etc.)
New York Times: Musk Suggests His Team Will Scrutinize Social Security and Entitlement Spending
March 11, 2025
Elon Musk, the world’s richest individual, suggested on Monday that his government cost-cutting team would scrutinize Social Security and other entitlement spending, describing the expenditures as rife with fraudulent transactions and repeating a conspiracy theory that Democrats were using the programs as a “gigantic magnet to attract illegal immigrants and have them stay in the […]
Business Insider: Starbucks Likely Avoided Taxes on $1.3 billion in Profit Using a Swiss Subsidiary, a New Report Finds
March 10, 2025
A little-known Starbucks subsidiary in Switzerland appears to have played a big role in how much the coffee chain paid over the last decade in taxes, according to a new report. On paper, Starbucks Coffee Trading Company, or SCTC, based in the Swiss Canton of Vaud, is responsible for sourcing unroasted coffee from countries like Colombia and Rwanda before it's used in beverages at Starbucks' cafés. It also oversees Starbucks' Coffee and Farmer Equity Practices program for ethical coffee sourcing.
Washington Post: GOP Voucher Plan Would Divert Billions in Taxes to Private Schools
March 7, 2025
Congressional Republicans, backed by the White House, are pushing for a new tax credit that would direct billions of dollars a year to school voucher programs — and not just in conservative states. The program would be fueled by a powerful, never-before-tried incentive: Taxpayers who donate to voucher programs would get 100 percent of their money back when they file their taxes. That means the tax break for giving to voucher programs would dwarf tax incentives for giving to churches, hospitals, food banks and every other charity.
The Bulwark: Trump Wants to Use the IRS to Track Down Immigrants. They May Stop Paying Taxes.
March 7, 2025
Immigrants in the country illegally paid nearly $100 billion in taxes in 2022, according to a report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic policy. But that source of government revenue may soon taper off as the Trump administration pushes the Internal Revenue Service to help it accelerate its program of mass deportations. The Washington Post reported Friday that the IRS rejected a request from Homeland Security to reveal the addresses of 700,000 people the agency suspects of being undocumented, an action that could violate taxpayer privacy laws. But the Post went on to report the new acting IRS commissioner…
ProPublica: How DOGE’s Cuts to the IRS Threaten to Cost More Than DOGE Will Ever Save
March 5, 2025
The Trump administration claims gutting federal agencies will save money, but cutting the IRS means the government collects less taxes. “If you’re interested in the deficit and curbing it, why would you cut back on the revenue side?” one expert asks. Read more.
Associated Press: Groceries Around the Country Remain Expensive. That’s Why More States Want to Stop Taxing Them
March 5, 2025
The number of states imposing sales taxes on groceries has shrunk over the years, and the number may decrease further in the coming months as lawmakers hear complaints about high prices for eggs and other household staples. Read more.
Video: ITEP’s Matt Gardner Discusses Worldwide Combined Reporting with Yes! Magazine
March 3, 2025
ITEP Senior Fellow Matt Gardner recently spoke to Sonali Kolhatkar about how worldwide combined reporting can be used to crack down on corporate tax avoidance. You can watch the full video here.
Nashville Pride: Lawmakers Push to Repeal Tennessee Grocery Tax, Citing New Report
March 3, 2025
A new in-depth report is strengthening the push to eliminate Tennessee’s state sales tax on groceries without cutting essential public services. The analysis shows that closing corporate tax loopholes could generate nearly $900 million in revenue—enough to offset the cost of repealing the grocery tax entirely. Read more.
Audio: ITEP’s Neva Butkus Discusses Louisiana’s Tax System on Louisiana Public Radio
February 27, 2025
In a special legislative session late last year, Louisiana passed a sweeping overhaul to its tax system year that saw the state income tax slashed to a flat tax rate and increased the rates of the state sales tax. Some have said the new tax system is a very modest improvement, while others find it […]
Reuters: Fact Check: Undocumented Immigrants Can and Do Pay Taxes
February 27, 2025
Undocumented immigrants paid nearly $97 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2022, according to a July 2024 report, opens new tab by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), which used data on taxpayers with ITINs to estimate tax revenue.
Bloomberg: Trump’s SALT Tax Promise Hinges on an Obscure Loophole
February 26, 2025
Over the coming months, President Donald Trump and his congressional allies will try to rewrite the nation’s tax laws, with promises of cuts for companies, workers and retirees. There are trillions of dollars on the line with those changes. But a certain segment of Americans will be focused on just one question: How much of their state and local taxes (SALT) will they be allowed to deduct?
USA Today: President Trump’s Social Security Changes So Far: 4 Things You Should Know
February 25, 2025
During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump promised to end federal taxation of Social Security retirement benefits. This isn't something he can do unilaterally. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the president and Republican lawmakers have discussed including this move in a budget package. But so far in his second term, President Trump has made some changes on his own that affect Social Security either directly or indirectly. Here are four things you should know.
NPR: Trump Aims to Cut Benefits for Those Without Legal Status. Most Already Don’t Qualify
February 20, 2025
President Trump issued an order Thursday aimed at preventing taxpayer money from supporting immigrants without legal status. Read more.
New York Times: Trump Orders End to Federal Benefits for Undocumented Migrants
February 20, 2025
President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order aimed at eliminating federal benefits for undocumented migrants in the United States, describing the benefits as an improper use of taxpayer resources.
U.S. News and World Report: How Trump’s Mass Deportations Could Lower the Social Security Trust Funds
February 19, 2025
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed a flurry of executive orders, including one aimed at “the efficient and expedited removal of aliens from the United States.” It calls for the Department of Homeland Security to expand its reach and deport “removable aliens” in every state. Those efforts have run into obstacles – most notably a lack of detention space and funding – but if successful, mass deportations could have unintended consequences. For one, they could mean less money for already meager Social Security trust funds.
Newsweek: Donald Trump’s Immigration Plans Could Push Up Retirement Costs
February 13, 2025
While there is widespread support for Trump's policies, it could have a negative impact on retirees across the U.S. by reducing the pool of funding available to pay benefits, increasing costs and contributing to an increase in inflation.
New York Times: Opinion | Democrats Need to Learn How to Throw a Punch
February 12, 2025
For most of the past decade, progressives presented the battle over immigration as simply a fight against Republican cruelty, racism and xenophobia. Such messaging does not amount to a political strategy. By 2024, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris seemed to stop trying to win the debate. As border-state governments grappled with newcomers, Republican leaders saw a crisis they could seize and weaponize — while Democratic leaders offered no compelling case of their own.
Slate: This Is Not About Cost Cutting
February 11, 2025
As terrifying and probably illegal as Elon Musk’s tech-bro holy war against the federal government has been, it’s only Phase 1. Really, the spectacle of the past few weeks sets Donald Trump and Musk up for what they almost certainly want much more: massive tax cuts for the wealthy.
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