Michigan
Gas tax revenues are on an unsustainable course. Over the last five years, Congress has transferred more than $53 billion from the general fund to the transportation fund in order to compensate for lagging gas tax revenues. By 2015, the transportation fund will be insolvent unless an additional $15 billion transfer is made. Larger transfers will be needed in subsequent years.
New Census Bureau data released this month show that the share of Americans living in poverty remains high, despite other signs of economic recovery. The national 2012 poverty rate of 15 percent is essentially unchanged since 2010 , but still 2.5 percentage points higher than pre-recession levels. This means that in 2012, 46.5 million, or about 1 in 6 Americans, lived in poverty.1 The poverty rate in most states also held steady with five states experiencing an increase in either the number or share of residents living in poverty while only two states saw a decline.2
Huron County View: Immigration reform would boost revenue by $35 million
August 23, 2013
(Original Post) WASHINGTON — A new analysis estimates that unauthorized immigrants pay Michigan $126 million in state, local taxes. The study also estimates that Michigan would gain $35 million in increased revenue should undocumented immigrants in the U.S. be allowed to work legally. The analysis, from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, assumes a […]
Minnesota Post: Minnesota growth formula could help Detroit recover
August 12, 2013
New residents, immigrants and refugees specifically, hold great promise for reviving places like Detroit, battered by de-industrialization or changing economics.
PBS: State Tax Cuts: Is Arthur Laffer All Wet?
August 2, 2013
The correlation between states having no income tax and their economic growth is not as direct as Reagan White House economic adviser Arthur Laffer says it is, argues tax economist Joel Slemrod.
PBS: How Low Can They Go? Arthur Laffer Defends Slashing State Income Taxes
August 1, 2013
In this 2012 Making Sen$e report, former Reagan White House economic adviser Arthur Laffer drew his famous curve on a napkin -- just the way he did for the Ford administration -- and explained how it works.
The City Wire: Some studies note impact of tax holiday promote spending
August 1, 2013
One back-to-school ritual designed to boost consumption will occur this weekend starting Saturday (Aug. 3) and ending Sunday (Aug. 4), as consumers may take advantage of a statewide tax-free holiday.
NPR: As Back-To-School Shopping Begins, Consumers May Turn Frugal
August 1, 2013
As August begins, retailers are stepping up sales promotions to attract back-to-school shoppers. And several states are offering tax-free shopping to encourage purchases.
The Advocate: Sales tax holiday begins Friday
July 31, 2013
[email protected] July 31, 2013 State sales tax will take a holiday this weekend, giving consumers a chance to save on the purchases of clothes, appliances, electronics and other goods. Lifting the 4 percent state sales tax is a tradition that dates to the aftermath of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, when legislators wanted to help storm […]
Livingston Daily Press & Argus: Hune, U-M rules could clash
July 24, 2013
Written by Christopher Behnan Daily Press & Argus State Sen. Joe Hune’s proposal to block undocumented immigrants from receiving state benefits could clash with the University of Michigan’s decision to grant in-state tuition to undocumented students. The U-M Board of Regents last week decided to let immigrants living in the country illegally pay lower, […]
Bloomberg BNA: Sales Tax Slice: Attention Shoppers – A Sales Tax Holiday is Occurring in a State Near You
July 15, 2013
(Original Post) Thursday, July 11, 2013 by Rebecca Helmes Your kids may have just finished school for the summer, but it’s time to start devising your back-to-school shopping plan. A break from sales taxes may come as a welcome respite for consumers and retailers. But these tax vacations have been consistently panned from a fiscal […]
Crain’s Detroit Business: Immigrants pay taxes, too
July 15, 2013
(Original Post) Now that the U.S. Senate has approved a bipartisan immigration bill, and it is all but dead in the Republican-controlled U.S. House, those supporting reform are pointing to a report released last week by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy as another reason to support overhauling the system. The report provides a […]
Michigan Radio: Two plus two isn’t five
July 11, 2013
(Original Post) Lessenberry commentary for 7/11/2013 I have nothing against the Theater of the Absurd. I was taught French years ago by an odd method based on the comedies of Eugene Ionesco, the master of irrational dialogue. But absurdity doesn’t work very well as a guide to life, unless, say, you are an infant, or […]
Michigan Radio: Michigan tax revenues would increase with comprehensive immigration changes
July 10, 2013
(Original Post) By STEVE CARMODY Credit Steve Carmody/Michigan Radio Michigan could get a boost in new tax revenues if the federal government approves proposed changes to immigration laws. That’s according to a new report. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy predicts Michigan could gain $35 million dollars a year in new sales, property […]
City Pulse: Michigan’s tax unfairness
July 8, 2013
(Original Post) Wednesday, July 3,2013 by Walt Sorg In 2011, Gov. Rick Snyder defended his $2.6 billion in tax increases on families, coupled with a $1.6 billion business tax cut, as “tax fairness.” The reality, according to a study by a respected nonprofit national think tank, was to take a system that basically screwed low- […]
Bloomberg Businessweek: Electric-Car Owners Get Taxed for Not Paying Gas Taxes
June 10, 2013
(Original Post) By Alison VekshinJune 06, 2013 Hugh Joyce, a contractor in Richmond, Va., owns three plug-in cars, and like many green-car evangelists, he’s unabashed about his love for them—especially his new $80,000 Tesla (TSLA) Model S. It’s “the most important vehicle since the Model T,” he says. “It’s the first electric car with a […]
New America Media: Data Reveals Immigrants’ Financial Contribution to States
May 17, 2013
(Original Post) Asian Journal, News Report, Posted: May 16, 2013 LOS ANGELES – In California, Asian and Hispanic immigrants pay nearly $30 billion in federal taxes, $5.2 billion in state income taxes, and $4.6 billion in sales taxes each year. In New York, immigrants are responsible for $229 billion in economic output in the state. […]
The Lansing State Journal: Cutting earned income credit hits families
April 12, 2013
Apr. 12, 2013 12:45 PM Written by Gilda Jacobs is president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy. Tax day is right around the corner — and if you are a hardworking family in a low-paying job, you may be in for a big surprise. That’s because in 2011 the Michigan Legislature slashed […]
The News-Herald: Senate Democrats blame GOP for increases in state income taxes
April 4, 2013
(Original Post) Published: Wednesday, April 03, 2013 “Governor Snyder and the Republican-led legislature have given away more than $1.8 billion in tax breaks for big businesses at the expense of hardworking individuals, which is a burden that is simply too much for most families to bear,” he said. “I’ve spoken with countless families around the […]
Toledo Blade: A fairer tax system
April 2, 2013
(Original Post) Published: 3/30/2013 Gov. John Kasich’s proposed changes to Ohio’s tax system, which include broadening the sales tax base and slashing income and business taxes, would reward Ohio’s wealthy but do little for poor and working-class families. Even if Mr. Kasich doesn’t get everything he wants in the next two-year budget, the tax plan […]
Kalamazoo Gazette: Michigan tax increases hitting more Kalamazoo-area families this April
March 26, 2013
(Original Post) By Yvonne Zipp | [email protected] on March 25, 2013 at 5:10 PM, updated March 26, 2013 at 8:57 AM KALAMAZOO, MI – As Kalamazoo-area residents fill out their Michigan income tax returns ahead of the April 15 filing deadline, many are getting an unwelcome surprise: The amount they owe has gone up. A […]
Reuters: Road funds on empty; more states weigh gasoline tax hikes
March 14, 2013
(Original Post) By Nanette Byrnes Thu Mar 14, 2013 11:50am EDT (Reuters) – Tight state budgets and jammed roadways this year are prompting some state governments to make one of the most politically unpopular moves imaginable: raising gasoline taxes. Because they hit everyone, gas taxes are widely disliked and rarely increased. But after decades of […]
South Bend Tribune: Better to pass on this tax cut
January 30, 2013
(Original Post) January 16, 2013 Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is pressing on with his campaign pledge to lower the state’s flat income tax rate from 3.4 percent to 3.06 percent. Saving taxpayers money and carrying through on promises are laudable goals. Yet cutting this tax seems wrong. First of all, the state and local tax […]
USA Today: Time to tweak gas taxes? States weigh options
January 25, 2013
(Original Post) Larry Copeland, USA TODAY7:47a.m. EST January 25, 2013 A great tax debate is breaking out in state capitals from Vermont to Texas: How do we maintain and expand our vital-but-aging networks of roads, bridges and urban transit systems? For nearly a century, the nation has funded projects primarily with revenue from gasoline taxes. […]
Michigan League for Human Services: The Michigan EITC and Taxes Paid by Working Families
January 14, 2013
Even with a state EITC, low-income families pay more of their income in state and local taxes than the state’s wealthiest families. Read the Full Report (PDF)
