Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP)

Maryland

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.

State Rundown 4/12: Tax Day 2023 – A Good Reminder of the Impact of Our Collective Investments

With Tax Day quickly approaching it’s worth taking some time to reflect not just on tax forms (though those are important!), but also on the current state of state tax policy...

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Better Local Tax Policy Can Help Communities Thrive

March 30, 2023 • By Kamolika Das

Better Local Tax Policy Can Help Communities Thrive

From dedicating new taxes to fund climate action and public health to vacancy and “mansion” taxes, many local leaders are already exploring ways to make their tax systems more progressive and sustainable. ITEP is committed to helping local leaders and advocates build on this work by advancing knowledge about local tax solutions.

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ITEP Launches Local Tax Team

March 30, 2023 • By ITEP Staff

Contact: Jon Whiten ([email protected]) For decades, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) has played a role in shaping equitable and sustainable tax systems at the federal and state level. From the beginning, we have collaborated with advocates, policymakers, and others to advance policies that can foster expansive, inclusionary, and racially equitable tax systems. […]

State Rundown 3/9: The Whirlwind 2023 Legislative Session Continues

State 2023 legislative sessions are proving to be eventful ones. With many states eager to make use of their budget surpluses, major tax changes are still being proposed and others signed into law. Michigan residents will soon see an increase to their state Earned Income Tax Credit (from 6 percent to 30 percent) after the […]

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The Five Best Tax Ideas Coming from Governors This Year

February 22, 2023 • By Carl Davis

The Five Best Tax Ideas Coming from Governors This Year

The word “tax” appears 97 times and counting in one recent summary of governors’ addresses to state legislators so far this year. The policy visions that governors are bringing, however, vary enormously. While there's good reason to worry about tax cuts for wealthy families and the flattening or elimination of income taxes, there are at least five great tax ideas coming directly out of governors’ offices this year.

State Rundown 2/15: Love You, Love You Not – Tax Edition

This week, a fresh bouquet of tax proposals was delivered by state lawmakers, but not all of them have left us with that warm, fuzzy feeling in our stomachs...

Michael Ettlinger

February 12, 2023 • By ITEP Staff

Michael Ettlinger

Michael is a senior fellow at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. He is also a senior fellow with the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire, where he was the founding director, and an independent author. This is Michael’s second tour at ITEP. He was previously the State Tax […]

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State Rundown 2/9: We <3 Taxes

February 9, 2023 • By ITEP Staff

State Rundown 2/9: We <3 Taxes

The great women’s philosopher, Pat Benatar, once said “love is a battlefield,” and there’s no greater test of our love for state tax policy than following the ups and downs of state legislative sessions...

State Rundown 2/1: February Brings New (and Some Old) Tax Policy Conversations

Tax bills across the U.S. are winding their way through state legislatures and governors continue to set the tone for this year’s legislative sessions...

Tax season has officially kicked off and with Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day right around the corner, it serves as another reminder for how important the EITC is...

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Several States Make New Moves to Tax Wealth

January 18, 2023 • By Jon Whiten

Several States Make New Moves to Tax Wealth

Lawmakers in seven states will introduce legislation this week to tax wealth in a new coordinated effort to combat ever-increasing income and wealth inequality. The bills couldn’t come at a better time, as those at the very top continue to pull apart from the rest of us and far too many states contemplate piling on to this runaway inequality with seemingly endless tax cuts for those at the top.

Momentum Behind State Tax Credits for Workers and Families Continues in 2023

Refundable tax credits are an important tool for improving family economic security and advancing racial equity, and there is incredible momentum heading into 2023 to boost two key state credits: the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.

State Rundown 11/30: ‘Lame Duck’ December Could Have Major Tax Implications

As federal lawmakers begin their lame duck deliberations, the revival of the expanded child tax credit remains a strong possibility...

State Child Tax Credits and Child Poverty: A 50-State Analysis

Regardless of future Child Tax Credit developments at the federal level, state policies can supplement the federal credit to deliver additional benefits to children and families. State credits can be specifically tailored to meet the needs of local populations while also producing long-term benefits for society as a whole

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State Rundown 11/2: Midterms on the Mind

November 2, 2022 • By ITEP Staff

State Rundown 11/2: Midterms on the Mind

Next Tuesday, voters will head to the polls to not only elect local and national leaders, but also let their voices be heard on a range of tax policy issues that could improve or worsen their state tax codes...

Tackling wealth inequality through the tax code can boost economic opportunity   Washington, DC: Wealth inequality is rampant in every state and particularly concentrated in a handful of states, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis released today by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). This extreme wealth hinders economic opportunities for all but the […]

The Geographic Distribution of Extreme Wealth in the U.S.

More than one in four dollars of wealth in the U.S. is held by a tiny fraction of households with net worth over $30 million. Nationally, we estimate that wealth over $30 million per household will reach $26 trillion in 2022 with roughly one-fifth of that amount ($4.5 trillion) held by billionaires.

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State Rundown 9/21: Earth, Wind, Fire & Taxes Edition

September 21, 2022 • By ITEP Staff

State Rundown 9/21: Earth, Wind, Fire & Taxes Edition

Do you remember/the big tax news innn September? Well, if not, we at ITEP got you covered...

Boosting Incomes and Improving Tax Equity with State Earned Income Tax Credits in 2022

States continued their recent trend of advancing EITCs in 2022, with nine states plus the District of Columbia either creating or improving their credits. Utah enacted a 15 percent nonrefundable EITC, while the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Vermont and Virginia expanded existing credits. Meanwhile, Connecticut, New York and Oregon provided one-time boosts to their EITC-eligible populations.

More States are Boosting Economic Security with Child Tax Credits in 2022

After years of being limited in reach, there is increasing momentum at the state level to adopt and expand Child Tax Credits. Today ten states are lifting the household incomes of families with children through yearly multi-million-dollar investments in the form of targeted, and usually refundable, CTCs.

Gimmicky Sales Tax Holidays Are Short-Term and Ineffective

Everyone loves a deal, so it’s no surprise why the appeal of the state sales tax holiday continues to persist. This year, 20 states will forgo more than $1 billion in combined revenue to enact a variety of sales tax holidays that—like most things that are too good to be true—will do little to provide meaningful benefits and instead undermine funding for public services.

State Rundown 7/27: It’s (Sales Tax) Holiday Season, But Who’s Really Celebrating?

It’s the holiday season – well, the sales tax holiday season, that is. But after taking a closer look, you may notice that there is little to celebrate...

Most States Used Surpluses to Reduce Taxes But Not in Sustainable or Progressive Ways

The average person on the street would have no idea that many states experienced unprecedented budget surpluses this year. Iowa, for instance, has the most structurally deficient bridges of any state with nearly 1 in 5 falling apart. The Iowa Board of Regents proposed a 4.25 percent tuition increase for all three state universities and […]