Recent Work by ITEP

Ongoing Use of Offshore Tax Havens Demonstrates the Need for the Global Minimum Tax

January 17, 2024 • By Steve Wamhoff

Key Findings To avoid taxation, American corporations use accounting gimmicks that make profits appear to be earned in foreign jurisdictions which tax corporate profits very lightly or not at all. In 2020, American corporations claimed profits in 15 of these jurisdictions that were often far too high to be possible. For example, in four jurisdictions […]

Proposed Tax Deal Would Help Millions of Kids with Child Tax Credit Expansion While Extending Damaging Corporate Tax Breaks

January 16, 2024 • By Joe Hughes

On January 16, Congressional tax writers officially announced the details of a tax policy agreement. The deal includes expansions of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to improve access for low- and middle-income families as well as expansions of the 2017 Trump tax cuts for businesses. The agreement also includes bipartisan tax priorities tax provisions for […]

State Rundown 1/11: Sounding the Alarm on Regressive State & Local Tax Codes

January 11, 2024 • By ITEP Staff

States got a wake-up call this week as ITEP released the latest edition of our flagship Who Pays? report...

In Most States, the Tax Code Makes Inequality Worse

January 9, 2024 • By Carl Davis

The vast majority of state and local tax systems are upside-down, with the wealthy paying a far lesser share of their income in taxes than low- and middle-income families. Yet a few states have made strides to buck that trend and have tax codes that are somewhat progressive and therefore do not worsen inequality.

State Rundown 1/4: New Year, New Opportunities, Same Tax Cut Proposals

January 4, 2024 • By ITEP Staff

The year may be new, but state lawmakers seem to have the same old resolution: slashing state income taxes...

Which States Allow Deductions for Federal Income Taxes Paid?

January 3, 2024 • By ITEP Staff

Three states allow an unusual income tax deduction for federal income taxes paid. Missouri and Oregon limit these deductions by capping and/or phasing out the deduction, while Alabama, offers what amounts to an unlimited deduction. These deductions are detrimental to state income tax systems on many fronts, as they offer large benefits to high-income earners […]

Everything You Need to Know About Proposals to Better Tax Billionaires

December 21, 2023 • By Steve Wamhoff

Tax policy may not be on the minds of most Americans during the final weeks of 2023, but billionaires with an eye on their own tax bills have been riveted by developments in D.C.

State Rundown 12/14: Tax Policy Debates Ramp Up for 2024

December 14, 2023 • By ITEP Staff

Even as revenue collections slow in many states, some are starting the push for 2024 tax cuts early. For instance, policymakers in Georgia and Utah are already making the case for deeper income tax cuts. Meanwhile, Arizona lawmakers are now facing a significant deficit, the consequence of their recent top-heavy tax cuts. There is another […]

The Estate Tax is Irrelevant to More Than 99 Percent of Americans

December 7, 2023 • By Steve Wamhoff

The federal estate tax has reached historic lows. In 2019, only 8 of every 10,000 people who died left an estate large enough to trigger the tax. Legislative changes under presidents of both parties have increased the basic exemption from the estate tax over the past 20 years. This has cut the share of adults leaving behind taxable estates down from more than 2 percent to well under 1 percent.

With the Moore vs. United States Case, the Supreme Court Could Unleash Chaos on Our Tax System

December 1, 2023 • By Steve Wamhoff

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments in Moore vs. United States, which could become the most important tax case in a century. A broad ruling could destabilize our tax system, enrich many profitable corporations, and widen existing economic and racial inequalities.