Illinois
Chicago Magazine: Illinois- The Fourth Most Regressive Taxes in America
January 30, 2013
(Original Post) Posted today at 11:21 a.m.By Whet Moser One of the ongoing complaints about Illinois’s tax system—besides general complaints about it being too high for everything—is its prairie flatness, which is unusual among states. One complaint is that it hits low-income taxpayers hardest (Naomi Jakobsson, D-Urbana, has proposed a graduated tax); the other is […]
Center for Tax and Budget Accountability: Issue Brief: Why Taxation in Illinois is Unfair
January 15, 2013
Tax policy is by its nature a contentious subject. In the end, individuals pay different proportions of their incomes in taxes to fund public services and a completely different matrix of individuals used those services. Given this dichotomy, establishing a definition of what constitutes the most fair way to levy taxes that is acceptable to […]
Center for Tax and Budget Accountability: Citizens Guide to the Illinois State Budget & Tax System
January 15, 2013
The Illinois State Budget is the state’s fundamental policy document. It defines what programs and services will receive financial support from the state. In a standard, non-overtime legislative year, Illinois adopts its budget on a fiscal year basis, beginning on July 1 of each calendar year and ending on June 31 of the next succeeding […]
Chicago Sun-Times: Commentary: Quinn and Hynes both want fairer tax system
January 4, 2013
(PDF of Original Post) September 5, 2009 Commentary Last week, when Comptroller Dan Hynes kicked off his campaign for governor, he took a shot at Gov. Quinn, painting him as the guy who wants to burden everyone with an income tax increase. In contrast, Hynes said, he proposes a more “progressive” income tax increase, one […]
NBC Chicago: Tax Report: Combine Quinn, Hynes Proposals
January 4, 2013
(PDF of Original Post) Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy: Use Quinn’s plan, then adopt Hynes’ By BJ LUTZ Updated 8:50 PM CST, Mon, Oct 19, 2009 Forget the he said / he said. A research group in the nation’s capital says the best tax policy would be a combination of Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn […]
Chicago Tribune: Tax review says Quinn-Hynes tax-hike hybrid is best for Illinois
January 4, 2013
(PDF of Original Post) October 19, 2009 UPDATED by Rick Pearson at 7:02 p.m.; first posted at 4:25 p.m. As the two major Democratic candidates for governor bash each other over competing proposals to raise the state’s income tax, a Washington-based research group has proposed its own method of tax fairness– combining the plans offered […]
Chicago Tribune: Illinois tax increase: Researchers say combine plans by Pat Quinn and Dan Hynes
January 4, 2013
(PDF of Original Post) Both proposals are ‘complementary,’ says Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy By Rick Pearson and Monique GarciaTribune reporters October 20, 2009 Gov. Pat Quinn and Comptroller Dan Hynes have fought for weeks over whose income-tax hike proposal is fairer, but a Washington-based research group said Monday the best answer may be […]
The State Journal-Register: Typical campaign nonsense won’t wash this time
January 4, 2013
(PDF of Original Post) Posted Nov 24, 2009 @ 12:05 AM Well, it’s officially turkey time. No, not the family-, friend- and food-oriented holiday we call Thanksgiving. Think more the frenetic, fatuous and occasionally flagitious biannual event called “campaign” season. You already can’t turn on a TV or radio without being subjected to negative political […]
NBC Chicago: How to Soak the Rich Without Soaking the Poor, Too
January 4, 2013
(PDF of Original Post) The two-point (or more) tax increase making its way through the state legislature has one thing to recommend it. Right now, the super-rich in Illinois — Oprah Winfrey, the Ty Beanie Baby guy, anyone named Pritzker — pay a lower proportion of their income than in any state that levies taxes. […]
Chicago Tribune: Emanuel and Chico gloss over fine print on taxes
January 4, 2013
(PDF of Original Post) By Bob Secter, Tribune reporter 9:53 PM CST, February 16, 2011 With city finances in shambles and fiscal straight talk at a premium, one of the final skirmishes of the race for mayor is centering on charges of distortions and misstatements over a tax plan floated by front-runner Rahm Emanuel. Ahead […]
Progress Illinois: A Missed Opportunity On The Sales Tax?
January 4, 2013
(PDF of Original Post) Over the past couple of years, Progress Illinois has reported time and again on the problems with the State of Illinois’ sales tax structure (older posts that touch on variations of this issue can be found here, here, here, here, here, and here). To recap, Illinois has the “narrowest base of […]
USA Today: Critics say states should discontinue tax holidays
December 21, 2012
Original Post August 6, 2011 by Jayne O’Donnell The back-to-school sales tax holidays that start Friday in many states may be popular with politicians and retailers, but critics say revenue-starved states should abandon them. Seventeen states plan to give shoppers a break on sales taxes for school-related purchases this season. Massachusetts and Arkansas added a […]
Chicagoist: Illinois Can’t Afford Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday
December 21, 2012
by Chuck Sudo August 7, 2011 How deadbeat of a state is Illinois? So much so that the state won’t be offering a sales tax holiday for back-to-school sales this year because we need the money to pay bills. Suspending the sales tax holiday may not be a bad thing. They’re evidently great for retail […]
Chicago Sun Times: Cash-strapped Illinois rejects back-to-school tax holiday
December 21, 2012
August 7, 2011 Gannett news service Unlike last year, there will be no “back-to-school” sales tax holiday in Illinois this year. State Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago), who was chief sponsor of the state’s holiday last year, says Illinois “just cannot afford it this year.” New York was the first state to enact a back-to-school sales […]
Chicago Tribune: Chicago-area companies among those that pay $0 in income tax: Study
December 21, 2012
Integrys, Baxter, Navistar and Boeing included on list 5:05 p.m. CDT, November 3, 2011 The corporate tax rate is 35 percent, but an examination of 280 of the nation’s largest corporations suggests that many aren’t paying anything close to that. The real tax rate paid by a slew of major corporations averages closer to 18.5 […]
Chicago Reporter: Activists in Illinois push to tip the scales in favor of civil society
December 17, 2012
(Original Post) By YanaKunichoff, Monday at 4:57 pm The scales are tipped in Illinois, and not in favor of the 99 percent, community groups say. A series of reports and actions, including the delivery of a golden toilet, seek to highlight the state cuts and corporate loopholes that advocates say are leaving Illinois citizens in […]
Chicago Tribune: The case for a graduated income tax in Illinois
December 17, 2012
(Original Post) Tuesday, February 28, 2012 If Illinois were to adopt the same graduated income tax rate structure as Iowa, Illinois would raise $6.3 billion more in revenue than it does from its current five percent flat rate, while 54 percent—over half—of all taxpayers would pay less in state income taxes…from The Case for Creating […]
The Huffington Post: Time for a 99 Percent Tax Revolt
December 17, 2012
(Original Post) Elizabeth ParisianPolicy analyst, Stand Up! Chicago With Tax Day tomorrow, it seems like the subject of taxes — tax policy, tax fairness, tax reform — is on everyone’s minds. On Tuesday, President Obama gave a speech in Florida in support of the Buffet Rule, in what is likely a move to make tax […]
Southtown Star: Should supermarkets solicit charitable donations?
December 17, 2012
(Original Post) By David McGrath May 18, 2012 10:22PM Tell me you haven’t been there. You’ve filled your grocery cart, are feeling pretty good about many of your purchases being on sale and you have a stack of coupons for discounts on several other items. At checkout, the cashier is friendly, even remarking on all […]
Chicago Tribune: Tax distortions
December 17, 2012
(Original Post) June 08, 2012 This is in response to “Illinois shouldn’t adopt progressive tax; Take it from an ex-Californian” (Perspective, June 8), by Lawrence J. McQuillan, chief economist at the Illinois Policy Institute, a free-market think tank. I was alarmed by the way McQuillan’s op-ed distorts both the Illinois and California tax systems. He […]
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 growing crowd of CEO’s demanding even more. In the wake of tax-break lobbying efforts by Motorola, Sears and Caterpillar, the latest corporation seeking preferential tax […]
Earlier this month, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton suggested that limiting the state’s generous income tax break for retirement income “would just be a matter of fairness.” Senator Cullerton’s suggestion gives Illinois policymakers a welcome opportunity to reflect on the appropriate design of senior-citizen income tax relief in Illinois. This paper summarizes the mechanisms used […]
A Progressive Strategy for Meeting Illinois’ Current and Future Revenue Needs
October 19, 2009 • By Matthew Gardner
Over the course of the past year, Illinois’ personal income tax has received a great deal of attention. In March, Governor Pat Quinn put forward a plan to raise the existing income tax rate of 3 percent to 4.5 percent and to increase the value of personal and dependent exemptions from $2,000 to $6,000; the […]
Ready, Set, Reform – How the Income Tax Can Help Make the Illinois Tax System Fairer and More Sustainable
May 15, 2009 • By ITEP Staff
The Illinois tax system faces a crisis of both adequacy and equity. The state must confront a projected $11.6 billion budget shortfall over the next two fiscal years that will likely require a variety of difficult spending and tax policy choices, and also faces a fundamental long-term mismatch between its spending needs and the revenues […]
My testimony today focuses on the revenue-raising tax reform bill, House Bill 750 and Illinois’ current tax structure. In particular, my testimony will discuss the state’s current tax structure and reveal the opportunity that HB 750 provides. Read the Full Report (PDF)
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