Washington
Washington Post: America’s immigration ‘dumping ground’ contributes to vibrancy and growth
September 25, 2015
“Like Ross, Mr. Trump is right in the sense that immigrants — and here we assume Mr. Trump is referring to the illegal variety, though he doesn’t bother much with fine distinctions — are in rough circumstances compared with native-born Americans. On average they are less educated, less wealthy and less likely to become wealthy. […]
Inlander: FALSENOMICS: Shedding the lies we’ve heard about the state budget will help make a tough problem more solvable
September 25, 2015
“Washington is currently ranked 35th in the country in combined state and local tax rates, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. With our unusual lack of income and capital-gains taxes, we also have the shameful distinction of being the most upside-down tax state in the entire country, according to the Institute on Taxation and […]
Low Tax for Whom?: Washington is a “Low Tax State” Overall, But Not for Families Living in Poverty
September 17, 2015 • By Meg Wiehe
Annual data from the U.S. Census Bureau appear to lend support to Washington's reputation as a "low tax state," ranking it 36th nationally in taxes collected as a share of personal income.1 But focusing on the state's overall tax revenues has led many observers to overlook the fact that different taxpayers experience Washington's tax system very differently. In particular, the poorest 20 percent of Washington residents pay significantly more of their income (16.8 percent) in state and local taxes than any other group in the state. For low-income families, Washington is far from being a low tax state.2 In fact,…
The Washington Times: U.S. companies given Export-Import Bank subsidies keep profits offshore, skirt taxes
September 15, 2015
“Matt Gardner, the executive director of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, said companies that are both benefiting from federally backed loans and who are keeping some of their profits offshore are shortchanging U.S. taxpayers. “It’s pretty ludicrous that the federal government would subsidize any company engaging in this kind of tax avoidance,” he […]
Toledo Blade: Ohio Readies for First Break on Sales Tax
August 11, 2015
Carl Davis, a senior analyst at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonprofit nonpartisan Washington think tank, said that while tax holidays help retailers, they don’t accomplish much else. “I think the major takeaway with sales tax holidays is they’re high profile and they get a lot of favorable attention for politicians, because […]
Washington Times: Oklahoma Retailers Expect Soaring Sales on Sales Tax Holiday
August 7, 2015
“The bottom line is that whatever policy goal you want to achieve through a sales tax holiday, there are probably better ways to achieve those goals,” said Matthew Gardner, executive director at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Gardner said sales tax holidays provide no long-term tax relief to consumers. The institute believes greater […]
Cheat Sheet: 10 Worst States in America for Fair Tax Systems
July 13, 2015
Americans generally believe that higher income households should pay a greater percentage of their incomes in taxes than lower income households. Yet the exact opposite occurs. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) finds the nationwide average effective state and local tax rates by income group are 10.9% for the poorest 20% of individuals […]
Washington Post: On July 1, Lower tolls, Higher Gas Tax in Maryland; Higher VRE Fares in Virginia
June 30, 2015
New laws go into effect Wednesday, as do changes that will impact drivers and commuters in the Washington region. Some rail commuters will pay more in Virginia, while drivers in Maryland will pay less at the toll booth and more at the gas pump. Maryland commuters, who started paying higher fares on MTA transit last […]
Washington Post: Fill The Tank Today
June 30, 2015
The residents of six states will pay more at the pump starting July 1 as increased gas taxes go into effect. Motorists in Idaho, Georgia, Maryland, Rhode Island, Nebraska and Vermont will shell out more to refuel. Californians, on the other hand, will pay less. The analysis comes from Citizens for Tax Justice and the […]
PT Leader: Taxes-Actually, Our State’s Most Unfair of All 50
June 29, 2015
Washington is not, as we are often led to believe, the cat’s meow when it comes to being liberal and progressive—despite its perceived leading role in a growing movement toward a 15% minimum wage. Time did not dream this all up, but was reporting on a study by the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic […]
Washington Post: States are Racing to See Who Can Give Rich People a Bigger Tax Break on Their Yachts
June 22, 2015
It’s true that lower taxes might bring new customers into the market, which would be great for the yacht industry. Yet every dollar spent on new boats is a dollar that a rich customer isn’t spending on something else. Favoritism for yacht manufacturers and dealers helps them only at the expense of all the other […]
The Topeka Capital-Journal: Gov. Sam Brownback: Tax Package Not a Tax Increase
June 18, 2015
The Washington-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, which is critical of the policy, said according to its analysis the poorest 20 percent of Kansans will pay about $197 more in taxes in 2015 than they would have without both the 2012 tax cuts and 2015 tax hike. In addition, the analysis found that the […]
Lawrence Journal-World: Brownback Signs Budget; Claims Success in 2015 Session
June 18, 2015
According to the administration, without the tax bills passed this year, Kansans would pay $1.06 billion less in income and sales taxes than they would have before the 2012 tax cuts were enacted. The legislation passed this year raises $338 million in sales and income taxes, leaving a net savings of $729 million. But the […]
Inquisitr: Kansas Raises Taxes On The Poor To Pay For Wealthy Tax Cuts
June 18, 2015
Meg Wiehe from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy told the Washington Post that only the rich have incomes that are growing. “Kansas has really shifted the responsibility for paying for taxes from those at the top with the most income, where income is growing, to those at the very bottom of the income […]
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Kansas Governor Says Deficit Plan is Not a Tax Increase
June 18, 2015
“Brownback, his top aides and their legislative allies have argued repeatedly that cuts in income tax rates benefited all classes of taxpayers. The governor noted that one provision of this year’s tax legislation will exempt 388,000 low-income Kansans, starting in 2016. But a new analysis Tuesday from Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan […]
TPM: Brownback: Despite Sales Tax Hike, It’s ‘Not Accurate’ That We’re Raising Taxes
June 18, 2015
Brownback, his top aides and their legislative allies have argued repeatedly that cuts in income tax rates benefited all classes of taxpayers. The governor noted that one provision of this year’s tax legislation will exempt 388,000 low-income Kansans, starting in 2016. But a new analysis Tuesday from Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan […]
U.S. News and World Report: Kansas Gov. Brownback Says Sales and Cigarette Tax Rises Are Not Tax Increases
June 18, 2015
But a new analysis Tuesday from Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan but left-leaning policy group based in Washington, said the cumulative effects of the changes in tax policy since 2012 have benefited the state’s wealthiest residents the most, while increasing taxes for its poorest residents. The analysis posted online said the poorest […]
KCTV Kansas City: Kansas Governor Says Deficit Plan Is Not a Tax Increase
June 17, 2015
Brownback, his top aides and their legislative allies have argued repeatedly that cuts in income tax rates benefited all classes of taxpayers. The governor noted that one provision of this year’s tax legislation will exempt 388,000 low-income Kansans, starting in 2016. But a new analysis Tuesday from Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan […]
New York Times: Kansas Tax Cutting Model Tarnished by Sales Tax Increase
June 15, 2015
Matthew Gardner, executive director of the left-leaning, Washington-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy said Kansas’ experience makes it more difficult for other states to pursue aggressive income tax cuts. In South Carolina, Republican Gov. Nikki Haley couldn’t pass income tax cuts even after declaring, “We are not doing what Kansas did.” “It’s clearly a […]
Star Tribune: Kansas Lawmakers Pass Plan to Boost Sales, Cigarette Taxes After Brownback’s Budget Warnings
June 15, 2015
“TOPEKA, Kan. — Republican legislators in Kansas narrowly approved tax increases Friday, responding to pleas from their leaders and a warning from GOP Gov. Sam Brownback’s aides about draconian spending cuts that could result if they didn’t erase a budget deficit. “Clearly, a move away from income taxes toward consumption makes an already unfair tax […]
Daily Record: Letter: State’s Tax Structure Hits the Poor the Hardest
June 15, 2015
Why did the recession have such a damaging effect on the state budget? Because, almost uniquely in the country, most of our state’s revenue comes from various kinds of sales tax. This causes real problems. The non-partisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy says Washington’s tax system is the most unfair in the entire country. […]
The Washington Post: How Kansas Keeps Making Life Harder for the Poor
June 15, 2015
Poor families in Kansas would pay even more in taxes under a bill the state House passed Friday. Matt Gardner, the executive director of the left-leaning Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy said the new legislation would “double down” on those changes. “A tax hike of this size is going to have a worrisome impact […]
The Washington Post: The Facts About Rick Perry And The ‘Texas Miracle’
June 9, 2015
On average, the poorest one in five Texas residents pays 12.5 percent of their annual income in taxes to the state and to local governments, among the highest rates in the country, according to the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Since the poor spend more of their income making basic purchases, sales taxes […]
Columbus Dispatch: Kasich Flirts With Steve Forbes’ Flat Tax
June 9, 2015
“If you ask its advocates why it’s a good idea, one of the first things they’ll say is it’s a simpler way to tax,” said Matt Gardner, executive director of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning nonprofit organization in Washington. “I think that’s largely an illusion. “Any move to a flat tax […]
Dayton Daily News: Kasich Flirts With Flat Tax
June 9, 2015
“If you ask its advocates why it’s a good idea, one of the first things they’ll say is it’s a simpler way to tax,” said Matt Gardner, executive director of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning non-profit organization in Washington. “I think that’s largely an illusion.” “Any move to a flat tax […]
