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blog
July 22, 2022
Most States Used Surpluses to Reduce Taxes But Not in Sustainable or Progressive Ways
The average person on the street would have no idea that many states experienced unprecedented budget surpluses this year. Iowa, for instance, has the most… -
blog
July 20, 2022
New ITEP Brief Shows How State Sales Tax Holidays Fail to Live Up to the Hype
Twenty states this year have decided to go so far as to forgo a combined $1 billion in vital tax revenue in favor of conveniently popular yet ultimately ineffective sales tax holidays. Whether it’s a state looking for a way to help families manage the rising cost of goods or to celebrate back-to-school shopping season, these policy options are poorly targeted and an inadequate use of state tax revenue that could be doing more to make childcare more affordable, health care more accessible and high-quality education available to everyone.
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brief
July 20, 2022
Sales Tax Holidays: An Ineffective Alternative to Real Sales Tax Reform
Lawmakers in many states have enacted “sales tax holidays” (20 states will hold them in 2022) to temporarily suspend the tax on purchases of clothing, school supplies, and other items. These holidays may seem to lessen the regressive impacts of the sales tax, but their benefits are minimal while their downsides are significant—particularly as lawmakers have sought to apply the concept as a substitute for more meaningful, permanent reform or arbitrarily reward people with specific hobbies or in certain professions. This policy brief looks at sales tax holidays as a tax reduction device.
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blog
July 19, 2022
The Tax Legislation Debated in Congress Would Reduce Inflation and Help Americans Deal with Rising Costs
Opposing a fully paid-for spending bill because of inflation concerns does not make any sense. Opposing a deficit-reducing bill because of inflation is absurd.
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blog
July 13, 2022
State Rundown 7/13: Let’s Make a Deal
From the Bay State to the Golden State, lawmakers across the nation are making deals and negotiating budgets with major tax implications…
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July 13, 2022
Abortion-Restricting States Do Least for Children
Lawmakers have passed laws in 22 states that either immediately or soon will greatly restrict women’s rights to decide whether and when to have children. These states have some of the worst tax, spending and labor market policies for families in the U.S.
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blog
June 30, 2022
No Reason to Water Down the Tax Reforms in the Build Back Better Act
There is no justification for recently reported efforts to scale back the tax reforms in the Build Back Better Act, a bill passed by the… -
blog
June 29, 2022
State Rundown 6/29: Sun’s Out, Session’s (Still) In
Although the sun is shining and Independence Day is right around the corner, many state lawmakers are still indoors hammering out the details of future budgets or still hard at work passing laws…
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blog
June 22, 2022
State Rundown 6/22: Southern States Edition
With many state legislative sessions wrapped or wrapping up, we at ITEP want to take a moment to direct your attention south, and specifically, to the American South…
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blog
June 22, 2022
New ITEP Report Examines the Path to Equitable Tax Policy in the South
“From the inception of the emerging American nation, the South is a central battleground in the struggles for freedom, justice, and equality. It is the…
