Recent Work by ITEP

Mississippi’s Path to Income Tax Elimination Hinders Racial and Economic Equity

August 7, 2025 • By Vanessa Woods

Mississippi policymakers this year took a big step to worsen the state’s racial income and wealth divides by passing a radical plan to eventually eliminate the state’s income tax.

How Maryland’s Tax Reforms Advance Racial and Economic Equity

August 7, 2025 • By Vanessa Woods

Maryland is taking aim at income and racial disparities through a revised personal income tax. By raising taxes on high earners and cutting them for most households across racial and ethnic lines, the state is proving that progressive tax policy can drive both equity and revenue.

Trump’s Firing of BLS Commissioner is Part of Larger Erosion of Federal Data Infrastructure

August 7, 2025 • By Emma Sifre

Last week, President Trump fired the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics in apparent retaliation for weak jobs numbers. The move drew sharp criticism for spooking investors and weakening trust in official data. But it also reflects a deeper problem: the ongoing erosion of the federal data infrastructure.

State Rundown 8/6: Tax Policy is Hot in the Middle of Summer

August 6, 2025 • By ITEP Staff

As states prepare for the revenue loss and disruption resulting from the federal tax bill, tax policy is being considered in legislatures across the country.

When Did Your State Enact a Child Tax Credit?

July 30, 2025 • By Neva Butkus

The Child Tax Credit (CTC) is an important tool to fight child poverty and help families make ends meet. When designed well, it can also make tax systems less regressive. As of 2020, only six states had CTCs. Today, 15 states have CTCs, with many credits exceeding $1,000 per qualifying child.

Excessive CEO Pay Makes Inequality Worse. Shareholders and the Public Deserve to Know About Compensation Disparities

July 30, 2025 • By Matthew Gardner

Huge executive pay packages are a prime driver of income inequality. Shareholders and the public deserve to know about how CEOs are compensated, but new SEC leadership seems to think otherwise.

State Tax Action in 2025: Amid Uncertainty, Tax Cuts and New Revenue

July 28, 2025 • By Aidan Davis, Neva Butkus, Marco Guzman

Federal policy choices on tariffs, taxes, and spending cuts will be deeply felt by all states, which will have less money available to fund key priorities. This year some states raised revenue to ensure that their coffers were well-funded, some proceeded with warranted caution, and many others passed large regressive tax cuts that pile on to the massive tax cuts the wealthiest just received under the federal megabill.

Which States Expanded Refundable Credits in 2025?

July 24, 2025 • By Neva Butkus

Refundable tax credits were a big part of state tax policy conversations this year. In 2025, nine states improved or created Child Tax Credits or Earned Income Tax Credits.

State Rundown 7/24: States Begin Preparing for Federal Megabill Fallout

July 24, 2025 • By ITEP Staff

All eyes in statehouses in recent weeks have been on federal budget negotiations, and now that the “megabill” has passed, they are focused in on their own budgets in search of ways to cope with the enormous consequences coming their way. All states will see fewer federal dollars flowing through their coffers, higher needs due […]

Americans Want to Know Which Corporations Aren’t Paying Taxes, but House Republicans Want to Keep this Information Secret

July 23, 2025 • By Matthew Gardner

The appropriations plan released by House Republicans this weekend threatens to withhold funding for an obscure but vital financial oversight board because that board now requires corporations to disclose basic information about their income tax payments (or lack thereof).