Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP)

Colorado

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State Rundown 10/22: Despite Obstacles, Progressive Taxes Define 2026

• By ITEP Staff

As more states move to raise revenue and tax the rich, anti-tax lobbyists and lawmakers are hard at work to undo that progress. Despite pushback, important conversations around needed revenue continue.

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New State Taxes on the Wealthy Raise Revenue and Rebalance Tax Codes, Advancing Racial Justice

• By Brakeyshia Samms

Taxing the rich is proven fiscal policy – it raises revenue for vital public services and makes tax codes fairer. But a part of the debate that rarely gets enough attention: taxing the rich is also one of the most effective tools available for advancing racial equity.

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State Child Tax Credits Will Boost Financial Security for Families and Children in 2027

• By Neva Butkus

Sixteen states provide Child Tax Credits to reduce poverty, boost economic security, and invest in children. State lawmakers have several options to maximize the impact of Child Tax Credits.

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State Rundown 9/10: States Brace for (and in Some Cases Embrace) Ballots and Budgets

• By ITEP Staff

States across the country will consider a host of ballot measures that could reshape the fairness and adequacy of their states’ tax systems, while other states are receiving budget forecasts that could further shape upcoming policy debates.

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2026 State Tax Ballot Measures to Watch

• By Aidan Davis

This fall, voters across the country will consider a host of ballot measures that could reshape the fairness and adequacy of their states’ tax systems. Here’s some of what we’re following.

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State-by-State Tax Expenditure Reports

• By ITEP Staff

Below is a list of tax expenditure reports published in the states.

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State Rundown 6/25: Trending This Summer? New Revenue!

• By ITEP Staff

It's the first official week of summer, and while many of us are planning vacations, state lawmakers remain busy finalizing and debating tax proposals.

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As Inequality Grows, More States Look to Tax the Rich

• By Alex Welch

From surcharges on the income of high-earners to higher taxes on second homes, here are recent steps states have taken to tax the rich.

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State Rundown 5/14: Fund Priorities or Increase Shortfalls?

• By ITEP Staff

As many legislative sessions end, lawmakers are revealing their priorities.

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State Rundown 5/7: Federal Showers Make States Dour

• By ITEP Staff

The effects of last year’s federal tax and spending cuts continue to ripple through the states. With gas prices soaring due to the Iran war, some states are attempting to provide a bit of relief in the form of gas tax reductions and suspensions.

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While States Debate New Trump Tax Changes, Equity Must Be at the Core

• By Brakeyshia Samms

States continue to debate whether and how to link their state tax codes to the 2025 federal tax law. This is not just a technical debate.

State Tax Watch 2026

• By ITEP Staff

ITEP tracks tax discussions in legislatures across the country and uses our unique data capacity to analyze the revenue, distributional, and racial and ethnic impacts of many of these proposals. State Tax Watch offers the latest news and movement from each state.

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State Rundown 3/26: Sobering Revenue Projections Keep States on Their Toes

• By ITEP Staff

This week, troubling revenue projections are making headlines, with many lawmakers scrambling to determine how the tax changes at the federal level, plus price hikes driven by national policy decisions, will impact their states.

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State Rundown 3/12: Washington Lawmakers Pass Millionaires’ Tax, Expand Working Families Tax Credit

• By ITEP Staff

Washington is on its way to making history after the legislature approved the “millionaires’ tax,” a 9.9 percent tax on income over $1 million. The bill, which is expected to raise more than $3 billion a year, making significant investments in public education and childcare, will also expand the Working Families Tax Credit – the […]

Testimony: ITEP’s Marco Guzman Outlines Positive Tax Reform Proposals for Colorado Lawmakers

• By Marco Guzman

This testimony was delivered to the Colorado House Finance Committee on March 9, 2026. You can watch video of the testimony here (Marco starts around the 6:12:40 PM mark). My name is Marco Guzman, and I am a Senior Analyst at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). ITEP is a non-profit, non-partisan tax […]

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State Rundown 2/19: Necktie (NCTI) Offers a Way Out of a Knotty Situation

• By ITEP Staff

State lawmakers are grappling with a range of challenges as their fiscal outlooks deteriorate, federal tax enforcement wanes (after the Trump administration cut the IRS workforce by 25 percent), and a rewritten federal tax code sends states scrambling to decide what changes they might want to make in their own codes.

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State Rundown 2/11: This Valentine’s Day, Conscious Decoupling Is Our Love Language

• By ITEP Staff

While some may be excited for a romantic Valentine’s Day this weekend, many state lawmakers are breaking up and decoupling from recent federal tax changes that are poised to leave states with revenue shortfalls – much like a bad date who forgets their wallet and asks you to pick up the tab.

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State Rundown 1/22: Cautious Tone Noticeable in Most Statehouses

• By ITEP Staff

Most states are adopting a very cautious approach so far this year as legislators begin their sessions and governors make their annual addresses, thanks to ongoing economic uncertainty and federal retrenchment.

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States Can Push Back Against Reckless Federal Tax Policy. Here’s How.

• By Aidan Davis, Wesley Tharpe

They should take steps to protect and boost their own revenues. And they should take a second look at their own tax cuts.

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Local Governments Are Increasingly Strapped: 2026 Will Bring New Challenges and New Opportunities

• By Kamolika Das

2025 saw an intensification of state and local tax fights across the country, as well as growing experimentation with local-option taxes, levies, fees, and tourism taxes aimed at keeping budgets afloat while also navigating political constraints imposed by state legislatures.

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State Rundown 1/14: New Year Brings New Resolutions for Funding Key Priorities

• By ITEP Staff

State governors are beginning to lay out their top priorities as legislatures reconvene in statehouses around the country.

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State Rundown 1/7: New Year, New Opportunities for Progressive Revenue

• By ITEP Staff

As we kick off a new year, several states are facing revenue shortfalls. Some lawmakers are approaching the challenge with sustainable and equitable solutions.

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No, Scott Bessent: States Aren’t Taking Away Anyone’s Tax Cuts

• By Nick Johnson

It’s wildly inappropriate for a U.S. Treasury Secretary to lean on states to adopt or not adopt specific federal provisions in their own state tax codes.

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Linking to Tipped and Overtime Income Deductions Would Worsen State Shortfalls, Do Little to Help Workers

• By Neva Butkus, Galen Hendricks

State deductions for tips and overtime are not only ineffective at supporting working-class people, it will come at a substantial cost to state budgets.

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State Rundown 12/3: Property Tax Cuts and Deficits

• By ITEP Staff

States are increasingly facing difficult choices as revenues stagnate and deficits come clearer into focus.