Carl Davis
Research Director
Areas of Expertise
Dynamic scoring e-commerce taxes education tax credits emerging trends in state tax policy state and federal gas tax supply-side economicsCarl is the research director at ITEP, where he has worked since 2008. Mr. Davis works on a wide range of issues related to both state and federal tax policy. He has advised policymakers, researchers, and advocates on tax policy issues in nearly every state. Much of his work relates to the link between taxes and economic growth, and the shortcomings of dynamic scoring and supply-side economic theories.
Carl is a leading expert on the funding of transportation infrastructure. His analyses of state and federal gas tax policy have helped to illuminate why the nation’s infrastructure revenues are insufficient, and how gas taxes could be reformed to improve their long-run sustainability.
As ITEP’s research director, Carl is responsible for exploring new and emerging trends in tax policy. In this role, he has authored reports on proposals to implement vehicle-miles-traveled taxes, to update the tax treatment of the “gig economy,” and to improve the enforcement of sales taxes as they relate to online shopping. He also recently began investigating private school tax credits. His research helped reveal the profitable tax shelters that these credits have created for some upper-income donors to private schools.
Prior to assuming the role of research director, Carl worked as an analyst for ITEP and used its proprietary microsimulation tax model to perform tax incidence and revenue analyses for lawmakers and advocates across the country. Carl also previously worked as part of the State Economic Issues team at AARP. He holds bachelor’s degrees in both economics and political science from Virginia Tech and a Master’s in Public Policy from George Washington University.
Follow Carl on Twitter @carlpdavis
cdavis @ itep.orgRecent Publications and Posts view more
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Explaining our Analysis of Washington State’s Highly Regressive Tax Code
Supporters of creating a local personal income tax in Seattle are rightly concerned about the lopsided nature of their state’s tax code. In a 50-state study titled Who Pays?, produced using our microsimulation tax model, we found that Washington State’s tax system is the most regressive in the nation.
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CBO Just Shot Down Trump’s Economic Forecast
Last month, the Trump Administration released a budget proposal that relies on unrealistic projections of economic growth to create the illusion that it will balance the budget by 2027. By making the federal budget outlook appear more favorable than it actually is, the administration is seeking to bolster its case for enacting a multi-trillion-dollar tax cut. Fortunately, Congress has its own independent forecaster that just chimed in with a more rational assessment of the economy.
Media Mentions view more
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Richmond Times-Dispatch: Legislator Proposes Exempting Poorest Virginia Localities from Some Taxes
Carl Davis, research director at the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, says state taxes don’t play that large…
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Bloomberg BNA: Private School Tax Credits Transform Charitable Incentive Into Profit Scheme
Public schools are funded by taxpayer dollars. School tuition vouchers allow taxpayer dollars to fund private education by paying for…