Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP)

Arizona

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Three Things to Know This Tax Filing Season

January 26, 2024 • By Joe Hughes

Three Things to Know This Tax Filing Season

The IRS Direct File pilot is currently open to eligible taxpayers here. Millions of American families have now received their W-2s for 2023, signaling the start to a new tax filing season. The IRS has set January 29 as the first date that people can file their tax returns for the previous year, and the […]

New Mexico Making Tremendous Progress Making Taxes Less Regressive

Recent tax reforms have helped to bring greater balance to New Mexico's tax code. A new in-depth look at taxes in all 50 states finds New Mexico is an emerging leader, though there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

State Tax Watch 2024

January 23, 2024 • By ITEP Staff

State Tax Watch 2024

Updated July 15, 2024 In 2024, state lawmakers have a choice: advance tax policy that improves equity and helps communities thrive, or push tax policies that disproportionately benefit the wealthy, drain funding for critical public services, and make it harder for low-income and working families to get ahead. Despite worsening state fiscal conditions, we expect […]

How the Fairness of State Tax Codes Affects Public Education

The findings of Who Pays? go a long way toward explaining why so many states are failing to raise the amount of revenue needed to provide full and robust support for our public schools.

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In Most States, the Tax Code Makes Inequality Worse

January 9, 2024 • By Carl Davis

In Most States, the Tax Code Makes Inequality Worse

The vast majority of state and local tax systems are upside-down, with the wealthy paying a far lesser share of their income in taxes than low- and middle-income families. Yet a few states have made strides to buck that trend and have tax codes that are somewhat progressive and therefore do not worsen inequality.

The vast majority of state and local tax systems are upside-down, with the wealthy paying a far lesser share of their income in taxes than low- and middle-income families. That’s according to the latest edition of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy’s Who Pays?, the only distributional analysis of tax systems in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Arizona: Who Pays? 7th Edition

January 9, 2024 • By ITEP Staff

Arizona: Who Pays? 7th Edition

Arizona Download PDF All figures and charts show 2024 tax law in Arizona, presented at 2023 income levels. Senior taxpayers are excluded for reasons detailed in the methodology. Our analysis includes nearly all (99.9 percent) state and local tax revenue collected in Arizona. As seen in Appendix D, recent legislative changes have significantly increased the […]

State Rundown 1/4: New Year, New Opportunities, Same Tax Cut Proposals

The year may be new, but state lawmakers seem to have the same old resolution: slashing state income taxes...

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State Rundown 12/14: Tax Policy Debates Ramp Up for 2024

December 14, 2023 • By ITEP Staff

State Rundown 12/14: Tax Policy Debates Ramp Up for 2024

Even as revenue collections slow in many states, some are starting the push for 2024 tax cuts early. For instance, policymakers in Georgia and Utah are already making the case for deeper income tax cuts. Meanwhile, Arizona lawmakers are now facing a significant deficit, the consequence of their recent top-heavy tax cuts. There is another […]

Free Tax Filing Option from the IRS Would Benefit People of Color, Contrary to Corporate Warnings

There's a patchwork of programs and preparers for people of color to turn to when filing taxes, and most come from corporations that profit from providing a service that the government could provide more effectively and efficiently for free. The Direct File program can change that and is a great step forward in the IRS’ work addressing racism in the tax code.

State Rundown 10/26: Off-Year Ballot Measures and State & Local Tax Policy

November elections are creeping closer and closer and while that typically means a new batch of lawmakers are elected, it also means voters have another chance to help shape state and local tax policy...

Kyrsten Sinema’s Latest Fight to Protect Tax Breaks for Private Equity

Sen. Sinema's bill to stop a seemingly arcane business tax increase that was enacted as part of the 2017 Trump tax law would be hugely beneficial to the private equity industry.

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States are Boosting Economic Security with Child Tax Credits in 2023

September 12, 2023 • By Aidan Davis, Neva Butkus

States are Boosting Economic Security with Child Tax Credits in 2023

Fourteen states now provide Child Tax Credits to reduce poverty, boost economic security, and invest in children. This year alone, lawmakers in three states created new Child Tax Credits while lawmakers in seven states expanded existing credits. To maximize impact, lawmakers should consider making their credits fully refundable, not including an earnings requirement, setting a maximum amount per child instead of per household, setting state-specific phase-out ranges that target low- and middle-income families, indexing to inflation, and offering the option of advanced payments.

State Rundown 8/10: Pump the ‘Breaks’ on Sales Tax Holiday Celebrations

August is here, school is starting, and with that comes back to school shopping...

States and Localities are Making Progress on Curbing Unjust Fees and Fines

Too many state and local governments tap legal-system collections, rather than adequate tax systems, to fund shared essentials like public safety and education. But a growing number of states and localities are choosing a better approach. Momentum for change has continued to build in 2023, with no fewer than seven states enacting substantial improvements.

State Rundown 6/22: Some Tax Debates Heat Up as Others Cool Off

Summer is here and many states nearing the end of their legislative sessions. Temperatures are rising in more ways than one in some state legislatures while others seem to be cooling off.

State Rundown 6/14: Summer Breeze & State Tax Policies

As the sweet days of summer pass, the scent of jasmine isn't the only thing blowing through the minds of state lawmakers, as tax policy discussions remain at the forefront...

Illinois Voucher Tax Credits Don’t ‘Invest in Kids,’ They Invest in Inequality

By allowing their school privatization tax credit to expire at the end of the year, Illinois lawmakers can take a meaningful step toward better tax and education policy, and a clear show of support for our nation’s public education system.

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State Rundown 6/7: The Budget Race Continues

June 7, 2023 • By ITEP Staff

State Rundown 6/7: The Budget Race Continues

Across the country, the marathon budget season has held pace, with a steady stream of bills continuing to cross the finish line...

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The Real Impact of State Tax Cuts

June 5, 2023 • By Aidan Davis

The Real Impact of State Tax Cuts

This op-ed was originally published by Route Fifty and co-written by ITEP State Director Aidan Davis and Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Senior Advisor for State Tax Policy Wesley Tharpe. There’s a troubling trend in state capitols across the country: Some lawmakers are pushing big, permanent tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy and […]

Arizona Center for Economic Progress: Extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Will Further Solidify An Unequal Federal Income Tax Structure for Generations

May 23, 2023

A new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) predicts that making permanent the temporary provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) will cost nearly $290 billion in 2026. H.R. 976, the TCJA Permanency Act, would permanently enshrine the portions of the TCJA that were set to expire in 2025. In Arizona, […]

State Rundown 5/18: Credits, Cuts, and Corporate Revenue Raisers

This past week, in statehouses around the country, tax policy decisions are moving fast as budgets were signed and budget plans were released and passed...

Preventing an Overload: How Property Tax Circuit Breakers Promote Housing Affordability

Circuit breaker credits are the most effective tool available to promote property tax affordability. These policies prevent a property tax “overload” by crediting back property taxes that go beyond a certain share of income. Circuit breakers intervene to ensure that property taxes do not swallow up an unreasonable portion of qualifying households’ budgets.

State Rundown 5/10: Momentum on State Tax Credits Continues to Build

This week, in states across the country the momentum to center improvements to family economic security remains strong...

Extending Temporary Provisions of the 2017 Trump Tax Law: National and State-by-State Estimates

The push by Congressional Republicans to make the provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent would cost nearly $300 billion in the first year and deliver the bulk of the tax benefits to the wealthiest Americans.