Recent Work by ITEP

Combined Reporting – How Does Your State Stack Up?

April 15, 2007 • By ITEP Staff

Over the past few years, a number of states, seeking to address longstanding flaws in their corporate income taxes and significant declines in the revenue they yield, have instituted a major reform: combined reporting. Combined reporting requires multi-state corporations to report the income earned by both the parent corporation and all of its subsidiaries and […]

ITEP Testimony on Tax Reform Bill HB750 in Illinois

March 20, 2007 • By ITEP Staff

My testimony today focuses on the revenue-raising tax reform bill, House Bill 750 and Illinois’ current tax structure. In particular, my testimony will discuss the state’s current tax structure and reveal the opportunity that HB 750 provides. Read the Full Report (PDF)

ITEP Testimony on Nebraska EITC Expansion

March 9, 2007 • By ITEP Staff

My testimony focuses on Legislative Bill 683, which would expand the Nebraska Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). In particular, my testimony will discuss the impact of this bill on the overall fairness of Nebraska’s tax system. Read the Full Report (PDF)

Broad-Based Gross Receipts Taxes: A Worthwhile Alternative?

March 1, 2007 • By ITEP Staff

States currently face a number of fiscal challenges, ranging from unresolved structural deficit, to underlying flaws in their existing tax systems, to the demands posed by ambitious initiatives such as improved access to health care. In response, some policymakers are casting about for new alternatives for generating revenue that do not seem to require visible or difficult changes in law. One such alternative that has gained in popularity in the past few years is a broad-based gross receipts tax.

ITEP Testimony on Combined Corporate Income Tax Reporing in Maryland

February 28, 2007 • By ITEP Staff

My testimony today examines a problem facing not just Maryland, but a number of different states – the erosion of the corporate income tax and the related emergence of profitable “zero-tax corporations.” I also will discuss the single best strategy available to lawmakers seeking to respond to the problem of corporate tax avoidance – mandatory […]

ITEP Testimony on HB 444 Proposal to Exclude Social Security Benefits from Tax

January 30, 2007 • By ITEP Staff

My testimony today focuses on one bill introduced in the Missouri House of Representatives: HB 444, which concerns excluding Social Security Benefits from the Missouri’s income tax. In particular, my testimony will discuss the impact of this bill on the overall fairness of Missouri’s tax system. Read the Full Report (PDF)

Dollars and Cents – Bringing Nebraska’s Tax System Into the 21st Century (Powerpoint)

January 17, 2007 • By ITEP Staff

Goals of the Workshop • What makes a good state tax system?• How does Nebraska’s tax system (and those of other states) fall short?• Options for reform: A national perspective• Back to reality: the best and worst of tax reform in 2005-2006.• Federal legislation: threats & opportunities Download the Powerpoint

Why Large Corporations Can Do Business in Your State Tax-Free – The “Substantial Nexus” Test

December 15, 2006 • By ITEP Staff

The holiday season is in full swing — and chances are you’re buying gifts on the Internet or over the phone, from people you will never meet and companies that will never set foot in your state. These companies are clearly benefitting from services provided by your state government. They could not conduct their business […]

How Will the 2006 Special Session Affect Louisiana Tax Fairness?

December 12, 2006 • By ITEP Staff

Louisiana lawmakers currently face a pleasant dilemma: how to dispose of a short-term budget surplus exceeding $2 billion. In the opening days of the special legislative session that began last Friday, tax writers in the House of Representatives’ Ways and Means Committee approved several bills that would reduce state income tax collections substantially. This analysis […]

Analysis of Proposed Capital Gains Tax Cut

July 15, 2006 • By ITEP Staff

The Ohio legislature is considering a proposal to scrap the current Ohio rule that taxes capital gains (profits from selling stock, investment real estate, etc.) at the same rates as other income. The plan would reduce the maximum Ohio tax rate on capital gains as follows: In 2007, from the currently scheduled 6.555 percent to […]