Sales and excise taxes, or consumption taxes, are an important revenue source, comprising close to half of all state tax revenues. These taxes are levied in each of the fifty states and are often considered “hidden” to consumers since they’re spread out over many purchases rather than paid in one lump sum. This policy brief takes a closer look at how these taxes are calculated.
Publication Search Results
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brief July 1, 2011 How Sales and Excise Taxes Work
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report June 23, 2011 Expert to North Carolina: Don’t Cap the Gas Tax
With the state’s gas tax pegged to the price of gasoline, North Carolina is scheduled to raise its gas tax rate on July 1. This increase was entirely predictable, but… -
report June 16, 2011 Illinois Must Ignore CME’s Tax Tantrum
How much is enough? On top of the close to $500 million in corporate tax breaks Illinois doles out each year, Governor Pat Quinn now finds himself confronted by a… -
report May 19, 2011 ITEP’s Testimony on Combined Reporting Legislation
My testimony today examines the erosion of Rhode Island’s corporate income tax, and the multistate tax avoidance schemes that have contributed to this erosion. In addition, it discusses the single… -
report May 19, 2011 ITEP’s Testimony on Tax Expenditure Procedural Reform
My testimony today focuses on House Bill 5737, which would enact a variety of reforms designed to enhance the level of scrutiny applied to new tax credits, deductions, exemptions, and… -
report May 14, 2011 Connecticut Takes a Stand for Progressive Tax Policy and a Balanced Budget Approach
Five months into 2011, a glimmer of hope for progressive tax policy and a balanced, sensible approach to state budget woes has emerged in Connecticut. Lawmakers in all but a… -
report April 14, 2011 States Should Not Allow Amazon.com to Bully Them into Forgoing Sales Tax Reform
In just the last few weeks, Arkansas and Illinois joined New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island in enacting legislation requiring some online retailers, like Amazon.com, to collect sales taxes… -
report April 13, 2011 ITEP’s Testimony on Sales Tax Modernization Proposal
My testimony focuses on Governor Chafee’s Sales Tax Modernization Proposal, which would generally broaden Rhode Island’s sales tax base, lower the general state sales tax rate, and raise additional revenue… -
report April 10, 2011 Don’t Give Up on Pease: States Can Decouple from Recent Federal Tax Cuts for Wealthy Itemizers
In 2011, thirty one states and the District of Columbia allow a group of income tax breaks known as “itemized deductions” (Figure 1). Itemized deductions are designed to help defray… -
report March 31, 2011 In It for the Long Haul: Why Concerns over Personal Income Tax “Volatility” Are Overblown
The precipitous drop in state tax collections during the recent recession has prompted some observers to argue that relying on volatile state taxes is a recipe for budgetary disaster. The…