California
State Rundown 11/5: Election Day Put Taxes on the Ballot
• By ITEP Staff
While voters delivered an historic rebuke of the economic and tax policies of the Trump administration as affordability concerns became a flashpoint, voters also decided on major tax ballot questions that will raise and protect revenue and do more to tax the rich in Washington, California, and Colorado.
Voters Pass Ballot Measures to Raise and Protect Revenue, Tax the Rich
• By Aidan Davis, Jon Whiten
Voters in states across the country on Tuesday passed critical ballot measures to raise and protect revenue and increase tax fairness. In three of four cases, voters showed their support for taxing the rich.
State Rundown 10/22: Despite Obstacles, Progressive Taxes Define 2026
• By ITEP Staff
As more states move to raise revenue and tax the rich, anti-tax lobbyists and lawmakers are hard at work to undo that progress. Despite pushback, important conversations around needed revenue continue.
HuffPost: Billionaires Have Tricks To Avoid Paying Their Fair Share Of Taxes. This Ballot Measure Would Change The Game.
October 21, 2026
It would be the first of its kind in the country — and set a new benchmark for other states.
State Rundown 10/8: Ballot Debates and Gas Tax Promises Accelerate as Election Day Nears
• By ITEP Staff
As the Iran War continues to cause gas prices to rise across the country, lawmakers are stepping on the accelerator instead of pumping the brakes on costly and ineffective proposals to suspend the gas tax ahead of the November election.
New State Taxes on the Wealthy Raise Revenue and Rebalance Tax Codes, Advancing Racial Justice
• By Brakeyshia Samms
Taxing the rich is proven fiscal policy – it raises revenue for vital public services and makes tax codes fairer. But a part of the debate that rarely gets enough attention: taxing the rich is also one of the most effective tools available for advancing racial equity.
California’s Prop 40: Responses to Common Objections
• By Brian Galle, David Gamage, Darien Shankse
Proposition 40, California’s proposed billionaire tax, is a one-time 5 percent levy that addresses a significant one-time emergency, namely the cuts made to the healthcare system by the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
State Earned Income Tax Credits Will Support Families and Workers in 2027
• By Neva Butkus
Nearly two-thirds of states (plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) have an Earned Income Tax Credit. These credits boost low-paid workers’ incomes and offset some of the taxes they pay, helping working class families achieve greater economic security.
State Child Tax Credits Will Boost Financial Security for Families and Children in 2027
• By Neva Butkus
Sixteen states provide Child Tax Credits to reduce poverty, boost economic security, and invest in children. State lawmakers have several options to maximize the impact of Child Tax Credits.
2026 State Tax Ballot Measures to Watch
• By Aidan Davis
This fall, voters across the country will consider a host of ballot measures that could reshape the fairness and adequacy of their states’ tax systems. Here’s some of what we’re following.
State-by-State Tax Expenditure Reports
• By ITEP Staff
Below is a list of tax expenditure reports published in the states.
State Rundown 6/25: Trending This Summer? New Revenue!
• By ITEP Staff
It's the first official week of summer, and while many of us are planning vacations, state lawmakers remain busy finalizing and debating tax proposals.
As Inequality Grows, More States Look to Tax the Rich
• By Alex Welch
From surcharges on the income of high-earners to higher taxes on second homes, here are recent steps states have taken to tax the rich.
State Rundown 5/7: Federal Showers Make States Dour
• By ITEP Staff
The effects of last year’s federal tax and spending cuts continue to ripple through the states. With gas prices soaring due to the Iran war, some states are attempting to provide a bit of relief in the form of gas tax reductions and suspensions.
State Rundown 4/30: Aloha to Tax Cuts, Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Address Revenue Gap with High-End Tax Changes
• By ITEP Staff
This week Hawaiʻi lawmakers reached a compromise to balance the state budget and maintain tax cuts for most residents by, in part, raising rates on the richest Hawaiians. Other states are working to generate revenue from their wealthiest residents, too.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: It’s Time To End Corporate Tax Avoidance in California by Closing the Water’s Edge Loophole
• By ITEP Staff
ITEP cited in testimony in favor of a California policy that would close a profit shifting loophole and ensure that corporations pay their fair share. Read more.
While States Debate New Trump Tax Changes, Equity Must Be at the Core
• By Brakeyshia Samms
States continue to debate whether and how to link their state tax codes to the 2025 federal tax law. This is not just a technical debate.
Tax Break for Ultra-wealthy Investors Takes a Hit in Maine and Oregon
• By Nick Johnson
Policymakers in Maine and Oregon wisely said “no” last week to an income tax break for deep-pocketed tech investors and venture capitalists that was expanded in last year’s federal tax bill.
State Tax Watch 2026
• By ITEP Staff
ITEP tracks tax discussions in legislatures across the country and uses our unique data capacity to analyze the revenue, distributional, and racial and ethnic impacts of many of these proposals. State Tax Watch offers the latest news and movement from each state.
Low Tax for Whom? California vs Texas
• 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.
USA Today: Californians Want To Tax Billionaires. They’re Threatening To Leave.
March 25, 2026
Carl Davis, research director at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, predicts the number of billionaires who might leave California over the billionaire tax “will be greater than zero, but still very, very small.” Read more.
Los Angeles Times: Eliminating a Corporate Tax Break Is Pitched as a Way To Make Up for Federal Healthcare Cuts
March 17, 2026
Carl Davis, a research director at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, stated that there is growing support nationwide to repeal the water’s edge tax break as public awareness of profit shifting spreads. “Folks are outraged when they hear that these companies are pretending that they are earning their profits in the Caymans or […]
California Budget & Policy Center: 5 Facts To Know About Corporate Taxes in California
• By ITEP Staff
Several large corporations pay next to nothing in corporate taxes in California, largely due to overly generous state tax breaks. Reforming the state’s corporate tax system is a necessary step to support the health and well-being of Californians and strengthen economic security for all. Read more.
Governor Newsom Launches New State Investment and Philanthropic Collaboration To Continue Supporting Families Under Federal Assault
• By ITEP Staff
Undocumented immigrants contributed $8.5 billion in state and local taxes in 2022 — a number that would rise to $10.3 billion if these taxpayers could apply to work lawfully. People are afraid to leave their homes, children are left without their parents, and families unable to afford groceries. Families are even foregoing critical medical care. […]
Trust Reform is Needed to Protect States, Especially in the Wake of IRS Enforcement Cuts
• By Sarah Austin
Trust use is widespread among the wealthiest households, with reports showing that roughly half of the nation’s wealthiest people rely on trusts for tax avoidance reasons
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