Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

Select Media Mentions

The Scranton Times-Tribune: State tax policy averts fairness

January 16, 2015

“As legislative leaders in Harrisburg refuse to implement a tax on Marcellus Shale gas extraction and to close tax loopholes for wealthy interests, a new study reveals the consequences of such policy. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan think tank, has conducted an analysis of all 50 states and found that Pennsylvania’s […]

New Hampshire Voice: Poor families pay bigger share of their income in taxes than wealthy families

January 16, 2015

“The analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy that evaluates the local tax burden in every state concluded that when it comes to paying taxes, the people who earn less pay more. In simple terms the low-and middle-income families’ in each state spend more money on state and local taxes than wealthy people. […]

Times of Trenton: Hits and Misses

January 16, 2015

“The poorest 20 percent of New Jersey households pay 10.7 percent of their income in state taxes while the richest 1 percent pay 7.1 percent according to the Washington-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.” Read more

The Patriot-News: Pennsylvania’s taxes are regressive; is that fair? The Numbers Racket

January 16, 2015

“You will be shocked – shocked! – to learn that in Pennsylvania, state and local taxes are a much heavier burden on the poor and middle class than they are on the wealthiest residents. The poorest fifth of non-elderly Pennsylvania families pay 12 percent of their income in state and local taxes, according to The […]

CNN Money: States where taxes hit the poor hardest

January 16, 2015

“Residents who make the least amount of money pay about 17% of their income in state and local taxes, according to a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Meanwhile, Washington’s highest earners cough up just 2.4% of their income for such taxes. The high tax rate on the poor, coupled with […]

The Washington Post: Best state: Delaware, for tax fairness

January 16, 2015

“Every state tax system soaks the poor proportionally more than it does the rich, according to a report released Wednesday by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). On average, the report found, the bottom 20 percent of earners give up about twice as large a share of their incomes in state and local […]

Crosscut: Washington taxes: We’re No. 1 (in abusing the poor)

January 16, 2015

“The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy released a new study today showing that Washington State’s tax system weighs heaviest on the poor. The non-profit Washington State Budget & Policy Center broke down the ITEP’s report, saying, “Washington state has, by far, the U.S.’s most regressive state tax system, taxing the poorest residents at 16.8 […]

Sun Sentinel: Florida’s taxes weigh heaviest on poor, study says

January 16, 2015

“Individuals and families at the bottom fifth in income in Florida pay 13 percent of their income in state and local taxes, while the state’s top 1 percent pay only 2 percent, said the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. The institute studies tax issues in an […]

The Week: Regressive local and state taxes hit the poorest the harder

January 15, 2015

“A new study from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy indicates that the tax burden imposed by local and state governments is frequently regressive, taking a larger proportion of income from poorer people. While the exact figures vary considerably by state, the average person in the lowest quintile of income earners loses 10.9 percent […]

The Progress Pulse: North Carolina’s unfair tax system highlighted in new report

January 15, 2015

“The latest Who Pays? report released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) takes a look at the fairness of state tax systems. For North Carolina, the lowest income North Carolinians pay over 70 percent more in state and local taxes as a share of their income compared to the state’s wealthiest […]

Public Radio Tulsa: Oklahoma Tax System Called “Unfair”

January 15, 2015

“Results from a new study claim Oklahoma’s tax system is unfair to the great majority of its’ citizens. The report, from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, finds low and middle-income Oklahomans pay over two times more in taxes as a percentage of income than the wealthiest residents. Gene Perry is with the Oklahoma […]

The Oregonian: Novick’s new street tax may be as good as it gets

January 15, 2015

“State taxes are another matter. Anyone who has attended a Revenue Committee meeting in Salem knows how carefully lawmakers examine the “distributional effects” of statewide taxes. Oregon’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a good example of what can come from such scrutiny; it not only rewards work but helps to remediate the property taxes […]

CNBC: Do the wealthy pay lower taxes than the middle class?

January 15, 2015

“A new study finding an “unfair,” rich-poor balance in state and local taxes has been getting big traction on the Web this week. The study, from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, found that “virtually every state’s tax system is fundamentally unfair, taking a much greater share of income from low- and middle-income families […]

New Jersey News Room: New Jersey’s Upside-Down Tax System: The Lower Your Income, The More You Pay

January 15, 2015

“Low-income and middle-class New Jerseyans pay more of their incomes to state and local taxes than wealthy residents, according to a new study released by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP). The study, Who Pays?, analyzes tax systems in all 50 states and factors in all major […]

Morgan County USA: Low and Middle Income West Virginians Pay Higher Tax Rate than Richest West Virginians

January 15, 2015

“A new study released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy finds that the low- and middle-income West Virginians pay more in state and local taxes as a percent of their income compared to the state’s wealthiest residents. The study, Who Pays?, analyzes […]

KRWG: New Mexico Among States With Most Unfair Tax Systems

January 15, 2015

“A new study released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) ranks New Mexico 17th in the nation in terms of having an unfair state and local tax system. This means that 33 states have tax systems that are considered more equitable than ours. The study, Who Pays?, analyzes tax systems in […]

Minnesota Radio: Minnesota among highest-ranked states for tax ‘fairness’

January 15, 2015

“Minnesota has one of the least regressive tax structures in the country, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, which has released a study of individual state’s tax policies to determine whether middle- and lower-income residents are shouldering more of the burden. For the record, Minnesota’s tax system isn’t fair. But neither is […]

Business Record: Low- to middle-income families shoulder greater tax burdens than wealthy ones

January 15, 2015

“The latest “Who Pays” report by the Washington-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy shows that the effect of sales taxes and property taxes on lower-income households tilts Iowa’s overall tax system so the poorest pay the highest percentage in taxes. “Iowa lawmakers for years have compounded inequities in Iowa’s overall tax system with their […]

WPRO: Low-income Rhode Islanders share an unfair portion of the tax burden

January 15, 2015

“Rhode Island now ranks as one of the top states for placing a large tax burden on the poor, according to the Economic Progress Institute. In a joint study, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy and the Economic Progress Institute states that Rhode Island ranks fifth worst in the nation due to collecting 12.5% […]

Newsmax: The Less You Earn, the More Your Taxes Are

January 15, 2015

“The more you earn, the less in local taxes you pay, a new analysis shows, and several states are considering policies to lighten wealthy residents’ tax burden even more. “Virtually every state’s tax system is fundamentally unfair,” the study, completed by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy says, according to The New York Times.” […]

Time: You’ll Never Guess Which State Has the Nation’s Most Unfair Taxes

January 15, 2015

“When you think of states that hurt the poor and benefit the rich, ultra-progressive Washington state probably doesn’t spring to mind. And yet, according to a new analysis, Washington’s tax system is the most regressive in the nation, placing a disproportionate burden on those with the lowest incomes. The study, published by the nonpartisan Institute […]

Portsmouth Daily Times: DeWine warns against HHS taxing

January 15, 2015

“According to a national report, the fifth edition of “Who Pays? A Distributional Analysis of the Tax Systems in All 50 States,” was produced by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and released in Ohio by Policy Matters Ohio. The study’s main finding is that virtually every state and local tax system takes […]

Mountain Express: Low-income taxpayers pay nearly twice the rate of high-income taxpayers in NC

January 15, 2015

“According to a study from the The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy and the Budget & Tax Center, North Carolinians with the lowest income pay more than 40 percent more in taxes (as a percent of their income) compared to the state’s wealthiest residents. The ITEP even calls the state and local tax system […]

Yahoo Finance: These taxes get little attention — but hurt ordinary people the most

January 15, 2015

“Flip on cable news, and it’s a pretty safe bet some pundit will be howling about taxes assessed by Uncle Sam. But taxes at the state and local level—which get a lot less attention—are the ones causing the most pain for millions of Americans. A new study by the nonprofit Institute on Taxation and Economic […]

Ashbury Park Press: Lawmakers still confident transportation solution near

January 15, 2015

“Eight states increased their gas taxes last year, including five that added automatic adjustments to keep pace with inflation or fuel prices, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.” Read more

Members of the media rely on ITEP for analysis and insight about how tax policies affect people. If you’re a reporter looking to talk to one of our experts, contact Jon Whiten at [email protected].