Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP)

New York

State Rundown 3/30: Late-Session Surprises Leave Us Unimpressed

Several states have dropped a few late-session surprises, and from the looks of it, they’re not the good kind...

New York Times: What Retirement Means for Your Taxes

March 28, 2022

Many states exempt retirement income, although the specifics vary widely. Eight states have no personal income tax, but among those that do, about three-quarters fully exempt Social Security benefits from taxation, and most others have partial exemptions for lower-income retirees, according to research by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan nonprofit group. […]

What the Biden Administration Can Do on Its Own, Without Congress, to Fix the Tax Code

The Biden administration has several options to address tax reform even when Congress is unable or unwilling to help.

State Rundown 3/23: Spring Brings More Tax Happenings

Spring is around the corner and like those pesky allergies that come along with it, equally pesky tax proposals continue to pop up in states across the U.S....

State Rundown 3/16: The Scramble to Curb Rising Gas Prices is On

Rising gas prices have lawmakers around the country searching for ways to ease the pressure on consumers and almost half the states are considering reducing or temporarily repealing their gas tax, but another idea is taking hold...

State Rundown 3/9: One State Stands Out Amid the Avalanche of Tax Cuts

The avalanche of regressive tax-cut proposals coming out of state legislatures has not slowed over the course of the winter months, but one state has provided a shot of hope to advocates of tax equity...

The Guardian: ‘A really bad deal’: Michigan awards GM $1bn in incentives for new electric cars

February 25, 2022

Meanwhile, GM has recorded $70bn in profits since 2010 while taking $8bn in subsidies in recent decades – more than all but one company nationwide. The idea that it needed incentives to invest in Michigan “is absurd”, said Matt Gardner, a senior fellow at the progressive-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). Businesses report that tax subsidies infrequently […]

State Rundown 1/20: Governors Eyeing Tax Cuts in Yearly Addresses

A common theme is emerging out of states, as governors around the U.S. begin the year with their annual state speeches, and the news does not bode well for long-term growth and sustainable budgets...

State Rundown 1/13: The Tax Cuts Cometh, But There Is a Better Way

As expected, with the start of many new legislative sessions around the country, lawmakers have introduced a slew of tax cut plans following better-than-expected budget outlooks that have, so far, weathered the impact of the pandemic...

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State Rundown 1/5: New Year, Same Old Playbook

January 5, 2022 • By ITEP Staff

State Rundown 1/5: New Year, Same Old Playbook

The new year often brings with it a reinvigorated commitment to new goals and a fresh perspective on how to accomplish them, but it seems like lawmakers in states around the country are giving up already...

State Rundown 12/15: Making Our State Tax Naughty or Nice List & Checking it Twice

As the holiday season kicks into full gear, we’re putting the finishing touches on our State Tax Naughty or Nice list, and it looks like some late entrants are making a good case to be included...

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Analysis of the House of Representatives’ Build Back Better Legislation

November 18, 2021 • By Carl Davis, Steve Wamhoff

Analysis of the House of Representatives’ Build Back Better Legislation

If the bill becomes law, in 2022 federal taxes would go up for the average taxpayer among the richest one percent and down for the average taxpayer in other income groups.

New York Times: A proposed minimum tax would hit Amazon, Facebook and others, a report shows

November 18, 2021

“Giant corporations have figured out how to game the system so that the costs of running this country are borne by hardworking families while these big corporations scoop up all of the profits and pay little or nothing in taxes,” Ms. Warren said in an interview. “It’s time to put a stop to that.” Ms. […]

Paying The Estate Tax Shouldn’t Be Optional for the Super Rich

ProPublica this year released multiple exposés revealing how the nation’s wealthiest individuals and families avoid taxes on an unimaginable scale. Most recently, it uncovered Republican and Democratic elected officials and political appointees who used complex strategies to avoid taxes.  Richard Painter, a White House ethics lawyer under George W. Bush, said these revelations should be “troubling […]

New York Post: At least 18 billionaires got COVID stimulus checks, report claims

November 8, 2021

The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning think tank, called ProPublica’s findings a “disgrace” that shows “why we need real tax reform.” Read more

New Study: Increase in Working from Home Could Depress Commercial Real Estate Prices, Reduce Local Tax Revenue

Covid-19 dramatically altered how and where many employees work, a shift that could have a long-term negative effect on commercial real estate occupancy rates and, ultimately, on local governments’ tax revenue base, a new study reveals.  The Impact of Work from Home on Commercial Property Values and the Property Tax in U.S. Cities concludes that even as the recovery strengthens, if […]

The Impact of Work From Home on Commercial Property Values and the Property Tax in U.S. Cities

The fiscal implications of a decline in commercial property values are important because the property tax is the dominant local source of taxes, and commercial property makes up a significant portion of the property base in cities.

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State Rundown 10/27: Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice

October 27, 2021 • By ITEP Staff

State Rundown 10/27: Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice

The end of Spooky Season is near but that hasn’t stopped state lawmakers from adding their frightening plans into the bubbling cauldron of bad tax policy ideas...

Boosting Incomes and Improving Tax Equity with State Earned Income Tax Credits in 2021

The EITC benefits low-income people of all races and ethnicities. But it is particularly impactful in historically excluded Black and Hispanic communities where discrimination in the labor market, inequitable educational systems, and countless other inequities have relegated a disproportionate share of people to low-wage jobs.

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State Rundown 10/13: Haven Sent Edition

October 13, 2021 • By ITEP Staff

State Rundown 10/13: Haven Sent Edition

The release of the ‘Pandora Papers’ showed once again that states and their tax systems play an important role in wealth inequality, and in this case, worsening it...

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State Income Tax Reform Can Bring Us Closer to Racial Equity

October 4, 2021 • By Carl Davis, ITEP Staff, Marco Guzman

State Income Tax Reform Can Bring Us Closer to Racial Equity

To pave the way for a more racially equitable future, states must move away from poorly designed, regressive policies that solidify the vast inequalities that exist today.

State Income Taxes and Racial Equity: Narrowing Racial Income and Wealth Gaps with State Personal Income Taxes

10 state personal income tax reforms that offer the most promising routes toward narrowing racial income and wealth gaps through the tax code.

State Rundown 9/29: Where There’s Smoke, There’s Revenue?

One of the few industries to excel during the economic downturn brought on by the pandemic has been the marijuana business, and lawmakers around the country are taking notice as they try to ensure that sales in their state are both legal and subject to tax...

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Tax Changes in the House Ways and Means Committee Build Back Better Bill

September 21, 2021 • By ITEP Staff, Matthew Gardner, Steve Wamhoff

Tax Changes in the House Ways and Means Committee Build Back Better Bill

This report finds that the vast majority of these tax increases would be paid by the richest 1 percent of Americans and foreign investors. The bill’s most significant tax cuts -- expansions of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) -- would more than offset the tax increases for the average taxpayer in all income groups except for the richest 5 percent.

Frequently Asked Questions about Proposals to Repeal the Cap on Federal Tax Deductions for State and Local Taxes (SALT)

Even though Democrats in Congress uniformly opposed the TCJA because its benefits went predominately to the rich, many Democratic lawmakers now want to give a tax cut to the rich by repealing the cap on SALT deductions.