Florida
Palm Beach New Times: Florida Has the 2nd Least Fair Tax System in the Nation
February 4, 2015
A big selling point to convincing people to move to the Sunshine State has always been that Florida has no state income tax. And that’s true. But the reality is that Florida ranks at the very bottom when it comes to the fairest taxes in the U.S. This means that the poorest of those living […]
Major tax overhauls are on the agenda in a record number of states, and “Who Pays?” documents in state-by-state detail the precise distribution of state income taxes, sales and excise taxes and property taxes paid by each income group as of January 2013. It is a critical baseline against which future proposals can be measured. […]
The Atlantic: Robin Hood in Reverse
January 28, 2015
But according to a new report from The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, the impact of those federal tax breaks is largely offset by the burden of state and local taxes. Here’s how state and local taxes break down as a percentage of income: The richest Americans pay the least. The tax mix changes […]
Slate: Republicans Are Finally Talking About Income Inequality
January 24, 2015
The problem is that this shifts the tax burden from the top to the bottom. In other words, it’s upward redistribution of wealth that harms the least well-off. And while the vast majority of states have tax systems that hit low-income Americans the hardest, these effects are worst in conservative states, where the highest tax […]
Evanston Now: Illinois Tax System Among the Most Regressive
January 21, 2015
A new study from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy says Illinois residents face one of the most regressive state and local tax systems in the nation. The institute — which defines regressive taxation as a system in which lower income people pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than those who […]
The Oregonian: Pity Washington’s Unhappy Legislators
January 20, 2015
Last week brought another complication for Washington’s tax situation, as the annual report of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, in the other Washington, found that once again Washington has the most regressive tax structure in the country. Since Washington is so heavily dependent on the sales tax, the poorest fifth of Washingtonians pay […]
Sunshine State News: Florida taxes second-most regressive in US
January 16, 2015
“Florida’s tax system poses a larger burden on poorer residents than almost any other state, according to a report released Wednesday by policy researchers at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. In its “Who Pays?” report, ITEP found Florida’s to be the second-most regressive tax system, after the state of Washington.”
The Tampa Bay Times: Florida taxes second-most regressive in US
January 16, 2015
Florida’s tax system poses a larger burden on poorer residents than almost any other state, according to a report released Wednesday by policy researchers at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. In its “Who Pays?” report, ITEP found Florida’s to be the second-most regressive tax system, after the state of Washington. “Florida’s tax […]
Salon: Defiant Sam Brownback vows to move toward zero income tax — and make Kansas even more unequal
January 16, 2015
“A study released this week underscores one of the most pernicious effects of such a tax regime: It exacerbates inequality. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that “[v]irtually every state’s tax system is fundamentally unfair,” with state and local taxes eating disproportionately into lower-income workers’ wages. But the effect was far worse in […]
The Louisville Courier-Journal: Kentucky facing consequence of gas tax tied to price
January 16, 2015
“Most states — 32 — levy a fixed-rate per-gallon tax no matter what the price of gas, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a tax watchdog group. But 15 states, including Kentucky, gauge it to the price per gallon, which makes it function more like a sales tax. Florida and Massachusetts levy […]
WYSO: In Ohio, Poor People Pay More Of Their Incomes In Taxes Than Rich People
January 16, 2015
“A national report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy ranks Ohio 18th in the country for most imbalanced tax systems. In a “regressive” tax system, low- and middle-income people pay a larger balance of their incomes in state and local taxes than high earners. The study finds very few states with “progressive” tax […]
Sun Sentinel: Florida’s taxes weigh heaviest on poor, study says
January 16, 2015
“Individuals and families at the bottom fifth in income in Florida pay 13 percent of their income in state and local taxes, while the state’s top 1 percent pay only 2 percent, said the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. The institute studies tax issues in an […]
USA Today: New Year Brings Hundreds of New Laws
January 5, 2015
Drivers in five states could see gasoline prices rise with gas tax increases, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a tax watchdog group. The biggest increase is in Pennsylvania, 9.8 cents, followed by Virginia, 5.1 cents; Maryland, 2.9 cents; North Carolina, 1 cent; and Florida, 0.3 cents. New York, Nebraska, Vermont, West […]
Memphis Daily News: Why Are Tennesseans so Afraid of an Income Tax?
November 3, 2014
Six of the nine state states without a state income tax – Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Washington, Alaska and Nevada – have had higher than average annual unemployment rates over the last decade, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Five of the nine – Tennessee, Florida, New Hampshire, Alaska and Nevada – are […]
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Axing Ohio’s Income Tax
October 3, 2014
In 2011, the state of Florida spent $8,887 per-pupil, ranking it 38th among the states, according to a report by Governing magazine based on Census data. Ohio ranked 18th that year, spending $11,223 per pupil. That same report showed that Ohio’s graduation rate for all students was nine percentage points higher than Florida. The rate […]
Read the Report in PDF Form The Census Bureau released data in September showing that the share of Americans living in poverty remains high. In 2013, the national poverty rate was 14.5 percent, a slight drop from last years’ rate of 15 percent and the first decline since 2006.1 However, the poverty rate remains 2.0 […]
USA Today: Shrinking Revenue Spurs Gas Tax Alternative
August 14, 2014
By Elaine S. Povich It was the potholes that convinced real estate broker Lester Friedman that there’s got to be a better way to pay for road construction and repairs. Friedman, who lives in Bend, Oregon, drives about 8,000 miles a year in his 1999 Chevrolet Suburban, ferrying clients throughout central Oregon. He sees roads […]
Politifact: Nan Rich Makes Claims about State’s Economy, Taxes
August 6, 2014
In response to questions, Rich said Florida’s tax structure was too regressive. Rich cited a 2013 report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, which partners with Citizens for Tax Justice, a group that advocates for middle- and low-income families. The report concluded that all states have regressive tax systems. It means that state […]
Sales Tax Holidays: An Ineffective Alternative to Real Sales Tax Reform
August 5, 2014 • By Meg Wiehe
Sales taxes are an important revenue source, comprising close to half of all state revenues in 2013. But sales taxes are also inherently regressive because the lower a family's income, the more of its income the family must spend on things subject to the tax.
St. Augustine Record: Tax Holiday, It’s How You Handle It
August 1, 2014
By the Editorial Board Florida touts these holidays — in which the 6 percent tax is temporarily lifted — as breaks for the average family, and says that Floridians will save $40 million this weekend alone. That may not be the whole story. We don’t argue the state numbers, but the truth is that the […]
Politifact: Nan Rich says Florida has 3rd most-regressive tax structure
July 23, 2014
“Rich told PolitiFact Florida in an interview, “don’t hold me to ‘third regressive.’ …. I did not say ‘third’ definitively. … We are one of the most regressive.” Rich cited a 2013 report by The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, which partners with Citizens for Tax Justice, a group that advocates for fair taxation of […]
South Florida Times: State Policies Affect the Middle Class
June 5, 2014
By David Madland and Keith Miller, June 5, 2014 The past 30 years has not been kind to Florida’s middle class which now ranks among the weakest in the nation. While the state enjoyed significant economic growth over this period, few of the benefits ever trickled down to the families who were not among the […]
The Christian Science Monitor: Hurricane Season Is Here, and Preparation Is Tax-Free
June 2, 2014
By Renu Zaretsky, June 2, 2014 Hurricane season began yesterday, and millionaires or not, Floridians can purchase hurricane supplies sales-tax free until June 8. Eligible items include ice packs, flashlights, portable radios, portable generators, Tiki torches, and certain batteries (AAs are tax-free, AAAs are not). Sales tax holidays grew more popular as states carried budget surpluses: They were seen as a way […]
The gasoline tax is the single largest source of funding for transportation infrastructure in the United States, but the tax is on an unsustainable course. Sluggish gas tax revenue growth has put strain on transportation budgets at the federal and state levels, and has led to countless debates around the country about how best to pay for America's infrastructure.
An updated version of this brief was published on February 9, 2017. Read this report in pdf. Every state levies taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, usually just called “gas taxes.” These taxes are an important source of state revenue—particularly for transportation—but their poor design has resulted in sluggish revenue growth that fails to […]
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