Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP)

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6,242 posts

Indiana Association for Community Economic Development: Indiana Property Taxes: Is Property Tax Relief or Tax Restructuring the Solution?

• By ITEP Staff

Many Indiana communities are once again experiencing what is perceived to be a property tax “crisis.” However, by its most common definition, a crisis implies a situation that is characterized by unexpectedness and sudden change. Although the drastic increase in property tax bills is sudden for many homeowners, the implementation of Indiana’s property tax assessment […]

Center for Tax and Budget Accountability: Issue Brief: Why Taxation in Illinois is Unfair

• By ITEP Staff

Tax policy is by its nature a contentious subject. In the end, individuals pay different proportions of their incomes in taxes to fund public services and a completely different matrix of individuals used those services. Given this dichotomy, establishing a definition of what constitutes the most fair way to levy taxes that is acceptable to […]

Center for Tax and Budget Accountability: Citizens Guide to the Illinois State Budget & Tax System

• By ITEP Staff

The Illinois State Budget is the state’s fundamental policy document. It defines what programs and services will receive financial support from the state. In a standard, non-overtime legislative year, Illinois adopts its budget on a fiscal year basis, beginning on July 1 of each calendar year and ending on June 31 of the next succeeding […]

New Jersey Policy Perspective: Gas Tax Talk Leads Down the Right Road

• By ITEP Staff

In the wake of restructuring proposals made by Governor Corzine, the gasoline tax is starting to be talked about as part of a solution to New Jersey’s financial crisis. This is a welcome development. For too long, New Jersey has shied away from greater use of gas taxes and other driving-related fees, to the detriment […]

Iowa Fiscal Partnership: Putting Fairness First: Questions for Financing State and Local Government in Iowa

• By ITEP Staff

As state legislators close out the 2008 legislative session and confront the tasks of maintaining commitments and investing in Iowa’s future, they will have to deal with a basic question: How is the budget gap to be financed? Each financing decision has a different set of consequences for Iowans at different income levels. This means […]

Economic Opportunity Institute: Fairer Taxes for Washington: Taxing High Incomes to Reduce Regressive Taxes and Improve Public Services

• By ITEP Staff

Washington State’s seventy year-old tax structure is built on an ever-shrinking base, and taxes fall most heavily on those least able to afford them. This discussion brief outlines options for a limited tax on the highest income households, coupled with a reduction in sales or property tax. The result would be a fairer tax system […]

Policy Matters Ohio: A Step Toward Fiscal Balance? Options for Ohio’s Income Tax

• By ITEP Staff

In the spring of 2008, Ohio’s state government finds itself in familiar territory – facing a budget shortfall because of an inadequate revenue system and a slowing economy. Despite the worsening economic outlook, state policy makers refuse to consider revenue-raising alternatives and are committed to allowing a scheduled cut in income tax rates to take […]

New Jersey Policy Perspective: Funding for Business Tax Breaks Shows Skewed Priorities

• By ITEP Staff

The Fiscal Year 2009 budget proposed by Gov. Jon Corzine increases spending on tax breaks for businesses—tax breaks of questionable value, as some recent developments highlight— while investments in more tried and true economic development tools suffer. More than ever, it is clear that New Jersey needs to spend state dollars in ways that invest […]

Oregon Center for Public Policy: The 2007 Kicker: Wrongheaded, Unjust, Costly, and a Federal Tax Increase

• By ITEP Staff

The “close of session” economic and revenue forecast released in late August by the Office of Economic Analysis confirmed that personal income tax revenues for the 2005-07 budget cycle exceeded the 2005 close of session forecast by 2 percent or more.1 Under Oregon law, the Department of Revenue will send – or “kick back” – […]

Agenda for Children: Building a Better Tax Cut: Alternative to SB87 Would Cut Taxes for Twice as Many Louisianans – at Half the Cost

• By ITEP Staff

On Wednesday, May 14, 2008, the House Ways and Means Committee approved SB 87, a measure originally sponsored by Senator Buddy Shaw and now backed by Governor Bobby Jindal. The measure would reduce state income taxes by close to $300 million per year, but a new analysis by the Washington, DC-based Institute on Taxation and […]

The Commonwealth Institute: The Road Less Taken: Creating Fair Taxes As Well As Better Highways

• By ITEP Staff

In the face of a funding crisis, Governor Kaine and the General Assembly face a difficult choice: Raise taxes and fees or enter into the next biennium with little money for the state’s expansive transportation system. A repeal of abusive driver fees and the Virginia Supreme Court’s ruling that regional components of the Transportation Funding […]

Center for Public Policy Priorities: The Best Choice for a Prosperous Texas: A Texas-Style Personal Income Tax

• By ITEP Staff

The quality of life in Texas depends on our producing a well-educated workforce that can meet the demands of a global economy. A strong and vibrant public education for all Texas children is an essential precondition for a prepared workforce and a prosperous, competitive economy. In fact, providing public education is one of the constitutionally […]

New Mexico Voices for Children: Immigrants and the New Mexico Economy: Working Hard for Low Wages

• By ITEP Staff

The current debate over immigration – and particularly over immigrants without legal residency status – often centers on whether or not this group of people contributes to the economy or diminishes it. A 2006 Fiscal Policy Project report, “Undocumented Immigrants in New Mexico: State Tax Contributions and Fiscal Concerns,” concluded that undocumented immigrants contribute more […]

South Carolina Fair Share: A South Carolina Working Families Tax Credit: Rewarding Work and Building Wealth

• By ITEP Staff

A South Carolina Working Families Tax Credit would: -Lift more working South Carolinians out of poverty; -Relieve the growing burden of taxation on low and moderate income working South Carolinians; and -Encourage and reward work. Read the Full Report (PDF)

Oregon Center for Public Policy: No Gain, Just Pain: Most Oregonians Would Not Benefit from Measure 59, But They Would Lose Public Services

• By ITEP Staff

Measure 59, which would allow an unlimited deduction of federal income taxes on state tax returns, offers no tax break to more than three out of four Oregon taxpayers. And yet the measure’s hefty price tag — more than about 9 percent of General Fund revenues, each budget cycle — would force deep cuts in […]

Oregon Center for Public Policy: No Contest: Why Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit is Better for Working Families and Oregon than the Tax Bracket Increase

• By ITEP Staff

Next year, the Oregon Legislative Assembly may face two different income tax measures purporting to help working families. One plan, proposed by Republicans in the legislature, would double the size of Oregon’s two lowest income tax brackets, doubling the share of income that is taxed at 5 and 7 percent (hereinafter, the “Tax Bracket Increase”).[1] […]

Oklahoma Policy Institute: Oklahoma’s Tax Cuts: Who Benefits?

• By ITEP Staff

Tax cuts enacted between 2004 and 2006 will reduce Oklahoma’s revenues by more than $800 million when fully phased-in. Among the many tax cuts, the two largest involved cutting the top personal income tax rate and raising the standard deduction. Read the Full Report (PDF)

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: North Dakota’s Measure 2 is Imbalanced and Would Harm Efforts to Secure State’s Economic Future

• By ITEP Staff

North Dakota’s proposed Measure 2, a major change to the state’s income tax that will appear on the November ballot, would be detrimental to the state for three principal reasons: 1. Measure 2 is risky and short-sighted. 2. Measure 2 is imbalanced and would prevent broadbased tax changes that could benefit all North Dakota families. […]

Oklahoma Policy Institute: Giving Credit Where Credit is Due: Boosting the Grocery Tax Credit Would Provide Targeted Help for Struggling Families

• By ITEP Staff

The family budgets of low- and moderate-income Oklahomans are under increasing strain from the rapidly rising costs of such essentials as food, fuel and utilities. Food costs rose 5.9 percent over the past year, according to the government’s August inflation data. Price increases have been particularly steep for such dietary staples as dairy (6.4 percent […]

New Jersey Policy Perspective: What’s the Rush? Costly Tax Changes Need More Deliberation

• By ITEP Staff

In this atmosphere of emergency, some of the legislation is moving with less deliberation than might be expected of tax changes that, when fully implemented, would likely cost the state at least $400 million a year in lost revenue. That is in addition to declines in state sales and personal income tax revenue that New […]

Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center: The Common Good: What Pennsylvania’s Budget and Tax Policies Mean to You

• By ITEP Staff

Public investments make a difference. Your tax dollars combine with everyone else’s to educate our children, keep our communities safe, move people to work over roads and transit systems, and care for the disabled and poor. Read the Full Report (PDF)

Hawai’i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice: Tax Policies That Will Help End Poverty for Hawai’i’s Lowest Income Families

• By ITEP Staff

THIS REPORT RECOMMENDS that the State of Hawai‘i adopt two tax measures to address the needs of low income individuals and families: 1. A refundable Hawai‘i Earned Income Tax Credit. We propose the Hawai‘i EITC be fixed at 20 percent of the taxpayer’s federal refundable earned income tax credit. 2. A non-refundable Hawai‘i Poverty Tax […]

West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy: Making Work Pay: A State Earned Income Tax Credit for West Virginia

• By ITEP Staff

Due to the EITC’s overwhelming success, 24 states have their own SEITC programs modeled after the federal credit. A West Virginia SEITC would increase tax fairness and provide families with additional income to help them close the gap between what they earn and what they need to meet basic expenses. Read the Full Report (PDF)

Missouri Budget Project: Creating a State Earned Income Tax Credit for Missouri

• By ITEP Staff

In this time of economic turmoil, one of the most effective steps state lawmakers can take to stimulate Missouri’s economy is to create a State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). A State EITC would benefit more than 440,000 Missouri families and is also proven to be a valuable economic stimulus, generating more than $64.3 million […]

Montana Budget and Policy Center: Restoring Revenue and Fairness. HB395: New Top Marginal Rate for Taxable Income

• By ITEP Staff

The 61st Legislature is faced with the unenviable challenge of balancing the budget during a time of economic downturn and revenue uncertainty. Introducing a new top marginal tax rate for households with incomes over $250,000 will offer fiscal security for Montana while restoring some of the progressivity of the Montana income tax system. It will […]