Recent Work by ITEP

At Least 88 Profitable U.S. Corporations Paid Zero Federal Income Tax in 2025

April 14, 2026 • By Matthew Gardner, Spandan Marasini

At least 88 of the largest corporations in America paid $0 in federal income tax for 2025. Corporate tax avoidance has increased at least in part due to President Trump's “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

State Rundown 4/8: Budget and Tax Packages Take Shape as Sine Die Approaches in Many States

April 8, 2026 • By ITEP Staff

State legislative sessions are wrapping up, and final tax and budget packages are making their way to governors’ desks.

Despite Any Refunds, You’re Probably Paying More Taxes Under Trump While Richest Pay Less

April 8, 2026 • By Steve Wamhoff

For a large majority of Americans, the tax increase resulting from Trump’s tariffs, along with the ending of the health care tax credits, more than offsets any tax cuts provided by OBBBA. The exception is the richest 5 percent of Americans, for whom the net result is a tax cut on average.

Year One of Trump-Republican Tax Policy: The Consequences

April 6, 2026 • By Michael Ettlinger

President Trump has dramatically increased tariff taxes, enacted large tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy and corporations, dramatically curtailed IRS enforcement, and issued legally problematic regulations.

State Rundown 4/1: No Fooling Around Anymore in Washington, But Cruel Pranks in South Carolina

April 1, 2026 • By ITEP Staff

In Washington, Gov. Bob Ferguson and lawmakers decided to stop fooling around with one of the nation’s most upside-down tax codes and finally brought to life a new millionaires’ tax, the first new income tax created in a state since 1991.

Low Tax for Whom? California vs Texas

April 1, 2026 • By Cassidy Sheppard

California Gov. Gavin Newsom went to Texas recently and claimed: “Texas taxes poor folks more than we tax our richest." He’s right.

South Carolina’s Expensive, Regressive Tax Law Will Eliminate State’s Income Tax

March 31, 2026 • By Neva Butkus, Dylan Grundman O'Neill

South Carolina signed into law a regressive tax cut that will disproportionately benefit the state’s highest-income residents while simultaneously jeopardizing the state’s ability to pay for basic public services in the years to come.

Travelers’ Checks: How to Tax Tourists in States and Localities

March 30, 2026 • By Rita Jefferson

Taxing tourists is a relatively efficient way to ensure that visitors are paying a share of essential government services. Places with a modest number of tourists should limit general sales tax rates to minimize the effect on the full-time population. Places with higher proportions of tourists may have higher sales tax rates to better capture the economic behavior of tourists.

The Progress of Tax Policy: Q&A With Vanessa Williamson, Author of ‘The Price of Democracy’

March 30, 2026 • By Brakeyshia Samms

Williamson speaks about why tax politics has long been tied to questions of democratic inclusion, what history can teach us about today’s tax debates, and how tax policy shapes the future of American democracy.

State Rundown 3/26: Sobering Revenue Projections Keep States on Their Toes

March 26, 2026 • By ITEP Staff

This week, troubling revenue projections are making headlines, with many lawmakers scrambling to determine how the tax changes at the federal level, plus price hikes driven by national policy decisions, will impact their states.