• brief  January 8, 2025

    Trump's Plan to Extend His 2017 Tax Provisions: Updated National and State-by-State Estimates

    Trump’s plan to make most of the temporary provisions of his 2017 tax law permanent would disproportionately benefit the richest Americans. This includes all major provisions except the $10,000 cap on deductions for state and local taxes (SALT) paid.

  • blog  January 6, 2025

    Undocumented Immigrants Pay More Than Their Fair Share of Taxes

    Undocumented immigrants help fund teacher salaries, road and bridge repairs and other local quality-of-life improvements. They also pay into vital programs that make up our social safety net (including Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance) even though they will likely never see any benefits from these programs — because, in most circumstances, they are legally prohibited from accessing them.

  • brief  January 6, 2025

    The Pitfalls of Flat Income Taxes

    While most states have a graduated rate income tax, some state lawmakers have recently become enamored with the idea of moving toward flat rate taxes…
  • blog  December 19, 2024

    State Rundown 12/19: Anti-Tax Playbook in Action

    The anti-tax playbook has been on full display in recent weeks as state policymakers run their offenses against public services and shared priorities. As the…
  • blog  December 17, 2024

    ITEP’s Top Charts of 2024

    As we close out 2024, we want to lift up the tax charts we published this year that received the most engagement from readers. Covering federal, state, and local tax work, here are our top charts of 2024. 

  • brief  December 12, 2024

    Federal Tax Debate 2025

    Congress will soon debate provisions from the Trump tax law that are set to expire at the end of 2025, as well as other tax policies that Trump proposed on the campaign trail. Here we examine what’s at stake as lawmakers consider significant changes to our tax system.

  • blog  December 12, 2024

    Defunding the IRS Would Cost Taxpayers

    As Congress negotiates a bill for federal funding during the lame-duck session, lawmakers would be wise to remember that stripping funds from the IRS costs more than it saves. On the table in the appropriations bill is a $20 billion recission of funds to the nation’s tax administration. While this may look like a spending cut, it will increase deficits by $46 billion due to a drop in the agency’s capacity to enforce taxes on wealthy individuals owed under existing federal law.

  • brief  December 5, 2024

    How Local Governments Raise Revenue — and What it Means for Tax Equity

    Local taxes are key to thriving communities. One in seven tax dollars in the U.S.—about $886 billion annually—is levied by local governments in support of education, infrastructure, public health, and other priorities. Three fourths of this funding comes from property taxes, 18 percent comes from sales and excise taxes, and six percent comes from income taxes.

  • blog  December 3, 2024

    State Rundown 12/3: Some States Cast Away Fiscal Responsibility as They Plan for 2025

    The 2025 legislative season will be here before we know it, and state lawmakers have begun unveiling their priorities and proposals. Unfortunately, despite stagnating revenue growth, many lawmakers continue to push for deep, regressive tax cuts – often before the full impact of previous tax cuts is felt.

  • blog  November 26, 2024

    Louisiana Lawmakers Pass Deeply Regressive Tax Plan

    Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry called the legislature back to the capitol the day after the national election to take up his plan to overhaul the state’s tax system during a 20-day special session. Our analysis shows the tax overhaul would worsen the inequity already rampant in Louisiana’s tax system while potentially shortchanging essential services for families across the state.