Sales, Gas and Excise Taxes
ITEP Testimony on Governor’s Plan: Expanding the Sales Tax
November 7, 2007 • By ITEP Staff
My testimony today focuses on the sales tax legislation included in the Tax Reform Act of 2007. In particular, my testimony will discuss the impact of the bill’s expansion of the sales tax base to include more services. The proposed changes are an important first step toward a more sustainable Maryland tax system. But, because […]
Value Added Taxes: An Option for States?
May 1, 2004 • By ITEP Staff
In recent months, lawmakers in a number of states have suggested that a particular type of sales tax, called the value-added tax or VAT, might be a cure-all for state budgetary problems. Although Michigan is the only state that currently relies on a VAT as a major revenue source, several other states have recently considered implementing this type of tax. This policy brief evaluates the case for (and against) implementing a VAT at the state level.
Sales, excise, and gas taxes are an important source of revenue for states. The sales tax, in fact accounts for half of all state tax revenue. Forty-five states levy broad-based sales taxes, every state levies at least some type of tax on consumption, and all states have a tax on gasoline. But these taxes aren’t without problems.
Sales taxes are inherently regressive—requiring lower- and middle-income taxpayers to spend a larger share of their household budgets in tax than their wealthier neighbors. The gas tax provides funding for infrastructure, but many states have not modernized their gas tax, meaning it no longer raises adequate revenue. ITEP resources on sales, excise and gas taxes provide general and state-specific information about the mechanics of these taxes and options for reform.
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ITEP is a non-profit, non-partisan tax policy organization. We conduct rigorous analyses of tax and economic proposals and provide data-driven recommendations to shape equitable and sustainable tax systems.
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