Publications
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report February 23, 2016 Tennessee Hall Tax Repeal Would Overwhelmingly Benefit the Wealthy, Raise Tennesseans’ Federal Tax Bills by $85 Million
Read PDF of report. Tennessee lawmakers are giving serious consideration to repealing their state’s “Hall Tax” on investment income (so named for the state senator who sponsored the legislation creating… -
report September 17, 2015 Low Tax for Whom?: Tennessee is a “Low Tax State” Overall, But Not for Families Living in Poverty
Annual data from the U.S. Census Bureau appear to lend support to Tennessee’s reputation as a “low tax state,” ranking it 50th nationally in taxes collected as a share of personal income.1 But focusing on the state’s overall tax revenues has led many observers to overlook the fact that different taxpayers experience Tennessee’s tax system very differently. In particular, the poorest 20 percent of Tennessee residents pay significantly more of their income (10.9 percent) in state and local taxes than any other group in the state. For low-income families, Tennessee is far from being a low tax state.2 In fact, only thirteen states tax their poorest residents more heavily than Tennessee.
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report March 24, 2014 Tennessee Hall Tax Repeal Would Overwhelmingly Benefit the Wealthy, Raise Tennesseans’ Federal Tax Bills by $60 Million
A new analysis performed using the ITEP Microsimulation Tax Model shows that the vast majority of Tennesseans would see very little benefit from Hall Tax repeal. Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of the tax cuts would flow to the wealthiest 5 percent of Tennessee taxpayers, while another quarter (23 percent) would actually end up in the federal government’s coffers. Moreover, if localities respond to Hall Tax repeal by raising property taxes, some Tennesseans could actually face higher tax bills under this proposal.
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report September 19, 2013 Tennessee is a “Low Tax State” Overall, But Not for Families Living in Poverty
Read the Report in PDF Form See all “Low Tax for Who?” states New data from the Census Bureau appear to lend support to Tennessee’s reputation as a “low tax… -
report April 1, 2012 Repealing Estate Tax Will Not Create An Economic Boom
Since Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam proposed reducing the state’s estate tax in February, Tennessee lawmakers have shown increasing interest in this idea. Recently, a House subcommittee one-upped the governor by… -
report August 14, 2011 Tennessee is a Low Tax State, But Not for Families Living in Poverty
Data from the Census Bureau shows that overall, Tennessee could be considered a “low tax state.” However, families living near or below the poverty line generally do not experience Tennessee… -
report September 15, 2010 Census Data Reveal Tennessee’s Fundamental Tax Mismatch: Tennessee is a Low Tax State, But Not for Families Living in Poverty
Recently released data from the Census Bureau confirms that overall, Tennessee could be considered a “low tax state.” However, families living near or below the poverty line generally do not… -
report December 14, 2004 The Impact of the Tennessee Tax Structure Study Commission’s Tax Reform Recommendations on Tax Fairness
Tennessee’s tax system is regressive, requiring low- and middle-income families to pay more of their income in tax than wealthier Tennesseans. A tax reform plan recently proposed by the Tennessee… -
report December 2, 1999 High Income Tax States Have Strong Economies
The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy today released an analysis showing that states with high income tax burdens have experienced more rapid economic growth than states with low income… -
report November 17, 1999 Analysis of Tennessee Tax Reform Proposals
Tennessee’s state legislature is currently considering several proposals for increasing state tax revenues to cover newly emerging budget deficits. The following analysis compares the distributional effects of two proposals that… -
report October 26, 1999 Behind the Numbers: ITEP Analysis of NTU Tax Study
A recent report by the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) tries to make the case that adoption of an income tax in Tennessee would stunt the growth of the state’s economy…