Many state legislative sessions are in the final stretch…
State Policy
State taxes pay for essential public services, from education to health care. But the ideal design of a tax system is complicated. ITEP’s state policy resources offer insights into central issues, including the impact of state tax systems on individuals, families, and businesses. Its work also analyzes the sustainability of revenue sources over time.
Find updates on tax policy across the country from our State Tax Watch.
ITEP's State Policy Research Priorities
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blog March 14, 2024 State Rundown 3/14: Sessions are Heating Up
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blog March 11, 2024 Recent Tax Cuts Have Expanded Inequality in the States
Some states have improved tax equity by raising new revenue from the well-off and creating or expanding refundable tax credits for low- and moderate-income families in recent years. Others, however,… -
blog March 6, 2024 State Rundown 3/6: Tax Cuts Aren’t Forever, or for Evers
Anti-tax interests finally found the end of the tax cutting appetite in a few states this week…
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blog March 6, 2024 Tax Cuts Fail Again in Kansas and Wisconsin; Lawmakers Should Pivot to Proven Investments
The governors of both Kansas and Wisconsin recently stood up to legislators who tried to push through costly tax cuts that would overwhelmingly benefit the most well-off. Lawmakers in those states and others should shift their focus from expensive, top-heavy tax cuts to tried and true policies that help middle-class and low-income families.
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ITEP Work in Action March 4, 2024 ITEP’s Kamolika Das Testifies on Pennsylvania’s Upside-Down Tax Code
Below is written testimony delivered by ITEP Local Policy Director Kamolika Das before the Pennsylvania House Finance Subcommittee on Tax Modernization & Reform on March 1, 2024. Good afternoon and… -
blog March 4, 2024 Moving the Needle Toward Tax Fairness in the States
While many state lawmakers have spent the past few years debating deep and damaging tax cuts that disproportionately help the rich, more forward-thinking lawmakers have improved tax equity by raising new revenue from the well-off and creating or expanding refundable tax credits for low- and moderate-income families.
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blog February 28, 2024 State Rundown 2/28: States Keep Busy While Washington Stalls
State legislative sessions are in full swing with New Jersey and Oklahoma both particularly active this week…
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blog February 22, 2024 State Rundown 2/22: Some Top-Heavy Tax Cut Proposals are Getting the Chop
With many state legislatures now in full swing with activity heating up, some tax cut proposals have lost steam…
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blog February 20, 2024 The ‘Low-Tax’ Lie: States Hyped for Low Taxes Usually Only Low-Tax for the Rich
It’s hard to go a week without seeing a politician or a news article hype up a state as the place that everyone is moving to – or should move to – because of low taxes. However, there’s a big problem with these proclamations: they aren’t true.
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blog February 14, 2024 State Rundown 2/14: Our Love Language is Taxes
As many of you may know, we love taxes, along with the many great things they provide for our communities…
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blog February 8, 2024 State Rundown 2/8: Flowers, Chocolates, and Tax Cuts for the Wealthy?
While we were hoping to get progressive tax policy wins for Valentine’s Day, many state lawmakers have another idea in mind…
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report February 6, 2024 Tax Policy to Reduce Racial Retirement Wealth Inequality
Historic and ongoing discrimination have created stark racial disparities in the US, and the racial retirement wealth gap is one such example.
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blog February 1, 2024 State Rundown 2/1: Black History Month Begins as Tax Debates Heat Up Nationwide
This week the showdown between the Kansas legislature and governor continued as Gov. Kelly vetoed the legislature’s latest attempt to pass a flat personal income tax. Elsewhere, the focus is… -
blog January 26, 2024 State Rundown 1/26: Wealth Taxes Drawing Interest Early in Legislative Sessions
Bills are moving and state legislative sessions are picking up across the country, giving elected officials the opportunity to consider two distinct paths when it comes to tax policy…
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blog January 24, 2024 New Mexico Making Tremendous Progress Making Taxes Less Regressive
Recent tax reforms have helped to bring greater balance to New Mexico’s tax code. A new in-depth look at taxes in all 50 states finds New Mexico is an emerging leader, though there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
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January 23, 2024 State Tax Watch 2024
Updated March 18, 2024 In 2024, state lawmakers have a choice: advance tax policy that improves equity and helps communities thrive, or push tax policies that disproportionately benefit the wealthy,… -
blog January 22, 2024 Latest Kansas Tax Plan Would Provide an Estimated $875,000 Tax Cut to Charles Koch
Last week, both houses of the Kansas legislature approved a significant tax cut centered around replacing the state’s graduated rate income tax structure with a flat tax instead. The bulk… -
blog January 19, 2024 How the Fairness of State Tax Codes Affects Public Education
The findings of Who Pays? go a long way toward explaining why so many states are failing to raise the amount of revenue needed to provide full and robust support for our public schools.
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blog January 18, 2024 State Rundown 1/18: State Tax Priorities Taking Shape in 2024
Tax policy themes have begun to crop up in states as governors give their yearly addresses and legislators lay out their plans for the 2024 legislative season…
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blog January 17, 2024 Worthwhile Ideas for a Stronger and Fairer D.C. Tax Code
The nation’s capital has a once-in-a-decade opportunity to advance a stronger and fairer local tax code. New draft recommendations from a key advisory panel will help leaders make the most of the moment.
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blog January 11, 2024 State Rundown 1/11: Sounding the Alarm on Regressive State & Local Tax Codes
States got a wake-up call this week as ITEP released the latest edition of our flagship Who Pays? report…
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blog January 9, 2024 In Most States, the Tax Code Makes Inequality Worse
The vast majority of state and local tax systems are upside-down, with the wealthy paying a far lesser share of their income in taxes than low- and middle-income families. Yet a few states have made strides to buck that trend and have tax codes that are somewhat progressive and therefore do not worsen inequality.
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January 9, 2024 U.S. Average: Who Pays? 7th Edition
U. S. Average Download PDF All figures and charts show 2024 state and local tax law, presented at 2023 income levels. These figures depict taxes paid by residents to their… -
January 9, 2024 Utah: Who Pays? 7th Edition
Utah Download PDF All figures and charts show 2024 tax law in Utah, presented at 2023 income levels. Senior taxpayers are excluded for reasons detailed in the methodology. Our analysis… -
January 9, 2024 Wyoming: Who Pays? 7th Edition
Wyoming Download PDF All figures and charts show 2024 tax law in Wyoming, presented at 2023 income levels. Senior taxpayers are excluded for reasons detailed in the methodology. Our analysis…