Recent Work by ITEP
The Problem with Returning to a $2,000 Non-Refundable Child Tax Credit
January 13, 2022 • By Joe Hughes
Prior to last year, more than one in three children lived in households with incomes too low to receive the full $2,000 credit because it is not fully refundable. This means earnings requirements and other limits reduce the amount tax filers can receive as a refund. In fact, the maximum refundable portion is reduced to $1,400 (less than half of the maximum refundable credit available in 2021).
School’s In: Tackling College Affordability Through State Tax Codes
January 11, 2022 • By Brakeyshia Samms
Given that a sweeping federal solution to the college affordability crisis does not appear to be on the immediate horizon, it is even more important that states take whatever steps they can to expand college access and affordability. While most of that effort will need to occur on the spending side of the ledger—such as through lowering tuition costs, expanding financial aid, or perhaps even funding free college outright—tax policy also has a role to play.
The New Trend: Short-Sighted Tax Cuts for the Rich Will Not Grow State Economies
January 10, 2022 • By Neva Butkus
The same legislators who touted tax cuts for the rich as solution to our problems before the pandemic are also saying tax cuts for the rich are a solution during the pandemic. Tax cuts cannot be a solution to everything, especially at a time when the richest Americans are amassing more wealth than ever.
Rather than resorting to tax cuts, which can eventually create revenue shortfalls, lawmakers should determine whether they have adequately invested in people and communities. There are better ways to leverage tax systems to help those who need it most.
The Pendulum Is Swinging Toward Tax Justice
January 5, 2022 • By ITEP Staff, Jenice Robinson, Kamolika Das
Tax justice is deeply connected to the movements for equality and racial justice. Progressive tax policy can ensure more of us share in the prosperous economy that our collective tax dollars make possible. It can mitigate economic disparities by class and race. And it can make sure the government has the resources it needs to function for all of us.
The new year often brings with it a reinvigorated commitment to new goals and a fresh perspective on how to accomplish them, but it seems like lawmakers in states around the country are giving up already...
Why Treasury’s Pending Race-Based Analysis of Stimulus Payments is Important
December 21, 2021 • By Emma Sifre
One important data inadequacy is the lack of demographic information in tax data. While the IRS data offers rich data on taxpayer income, it does not collect information on important demographic characteristics like race and ethnicity. This presents a challenge for researchers interested in the racialized impacts of the U.S. tax system and has prompted many researchers and organizations to advocate for public-use tax data that is disaggregated by race and ethnicity.
Pandemic Policies Demonstrate Government Can Address Widening Economic Inequality If Policymakers So Choose
December 17, 2021 • By ITEP Staff, Jenice Robinson, Joe Hughes
We are surrounded by evidence that economic inequality is spinning out of control, yet we also see straightforward examples of how government can stop the downward spiral should it choose to do so. The Build Back Better Act, which invests in communities and ensures the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share, is one such example. Congress should pass it.
State Rundown 12/15: Making Our State Tax Naughty or Nice List & Checking it Twice
December 15, 2021 • By ITEP Staff
As the holiday season kicks into full gear, we’re putting the finishing touches on our State Tax Naughty or Nice list, and it looks like some late entrants are making a good case to be included...
ITEP Data on Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit Provisions Before Congress
December 14, 2021 • By Steve Wamhoff
Congress expanded the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for 2021 as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP). The additional benefits that millions of families and workers received under that law will end this month if Congress does not act soon. The CTC expansion boosted the annual tax credit […]
ITEP in the News
Quartz: The $40,000 SALT Goldmine Only the Wealthy Will Actually Get
AP News: Georgia Republicans, Against Backdrop of 2026 Election, Push to Eliminate State Income Tax
Barron's: Social Security Is 90 Years Old. Trump Just Weighed In.
Nonprofit Quarterly: Class Not Dismissed: Mamdani, Nonprofits, and the Fight for Economic Justice
Wall Street Journal: Blue States Hunt for Ways to Wring More Taxes From the Wealthy
ITEP Work in Action
Democrat Committee on Education & Workforce: Ranking Member Bonamici Opening Remarks at ECESE Subcommittee Hearing on Reading and Math in K-12 Schools
Economic Policy Institute: Unions Aren’t Just Good for Workers—They Also Benefit Communities and Democracy
Hawai'i Appleseed: Incoming Federal Tax Cuts Will Heavily Favor Hawaiʻi’s Wealthiest Residents
New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute: New Federal Reconciliation Law Reduces Taxes, Health Access, and Food Assistance Supports for Granite Staters
United Ways of California: The Economic Impact of Immigrants in California
Institute on Taxation
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ITEP is a non-profit, non-partisan tax policy organization. We conduct rigorous analyses of tax and economic proposals and provide data-driven recommendations to shape equitable and sustainable tax systems.
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