Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy

Recent Work

2067 items

My testimony today offers several broad thoughts on the implications of the proposals for sales and use tax reform laid out so far by the Tax Realignment Commission (TRAC). The testimony stresses that while base-broadening is of paramount importance in achieving a more sustainable state sales tax, policymakers should be aware of the need for […]

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In the 2010 legislative session, Georgia lawmakers have ratified, or are poised to ratify, a set of tax changes which would dramatically reshape the fairness of the state’s tax system. A new ITEP analysis shows that these changes would increase the taxes paid by the poorest ninety five percent of Georgians, while cutting taxes for […]

A new analysis shows that Massey Energy, which owned the Upper Big Branch mine where 29 West Virginia miners were killed last week, paid an average of 5.6 percent of its profits in federal income taxes over the last three years—despite having large profits in each year. This is less than one-sixth of the statutory […]

Seven states—Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming—have chosen to make up for the lack of an income tax by increasing their reliance on general sales taxes.1 The result is an “upside down” state tax system, which imposes higher effective tax rates on middle- and low-income families than on the best-off taxpayers. But […]

Last week, an Alabama legislative committee approved a bill, House Bill 1, that would take an important step towards making one of the most unfair tax systems in the nation somewhat less unfair. Some opponents of the bill have characterized it as a “redistribution of wealth” from the best-off families to low-income taxpayers. However, these […]

As the debate over extending the Maryland “millionaires’ tax” continues, numerous lawmakers and advocates have recently begun to look toward New Jersey’s experience with its own “halfmillionaires’ tax” to help inform their understanding of the issues at work. In particular, two studies of New Jersey’s migration patterns—one from Boston College and one from Princeton University—have […]

Earlier this week, the tax writing committee in the Georgia House of Representatives quietly approved a bill, HB 1219, that would increase Georgia taxes by about $20 million a year by paring back a tax credit that only affects the very poorest Georgians. The bill’s proponents have repeatedly implied that the beneficiaries of the existing […]

My testimony today focuses on Senate Bill 913, which would temporarily extend, through 2014, the “millionaires’ tax” that is currently scheduled to expire at the end of 2010. This testimony emphasizes that the “millionaires’ tax” makes Maryland’s tax system at least somewhat less unfair than it otherwise would be; that claims about the negative impact […]

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ITEP’s Testimony on HB 2034 Income Tax Reforms

March 18, 2010 • By ITEP Staff

My testimony today focuses on one bill introduced in the Missouri House of Representatives: HB 2034, which would reform the state’s individual income tax structure. My testimony will discuss the impact of this bill on the yield and fairness of Missouri’s income tax. HB 2034 would raise over a billion dollars a year to fund […]

My testimony today focuses on Senate Bill 913, which would temporarily extend, through 2014, the “millionaires’ tax” that is currently scheduled to expire at the end of 2010. This testimony emphasizes that the “millionaires’ tax” makes Maryland’s tax system at least somewhat less unfair than it otherwise would be; that claims about the negative impact […]

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Leadership Tax Plan Hits Poor Hardest

March 2, 2010 • By ITEP Staff

Media outlets are reporting that leaders in the New Mexico legislature reached a tentative agreement in the days leading up to this week’s special legislative session that would impose over $220 million a year in new Gross Receipts Taxes (GRT) and cigarette taxes. Reports also indicate that the agreement does not include any provisions to […]

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Evaluating Special Session Revenue-Raising Options

February 26, 2010 • By ITEP Staff

In a special legislative session starting March 1, the New Mexico Legislature will consider a variety of revenue-raising options to close the state’s budget deficit. Some of the options under consideration—especially those approved by the state Senate earlier this year—would fall much more heavily on low- and middle-income families than on the best-off New Mexicans. […]

Senate Joint Resolution 29 and House Joint Resolution 56 are currently being debated in the Missouri Legislature. The proposals would place a constitutional amendment on the ballot to dramatically change the state’s revenue structure by eliminating the individual income and corporate income/franchise taxes and replacing them with a greatly expanded sales tax. The new statewide […]

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Testimony on SJR 29: Income Tax Repeal

January 28, 2010 • By ITEP Staff

In evaluating SJR 29, policymakers should have a clear understanding of how broad the tax base could actually be under such a plan, what the tax rate would actually have to be in order to make the plan revenue-neutral overall, and how the plan overall would affect Missourians at different income levels. My testimony presents […]

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