Jon Whiten
Deputy Director
Areas of Expertise
State Taxes Federal Taxes CommunicationsAs Deputy Director, Jon helps guide ITEP’s overall strategy and approach to policy change, works to properly resource ITEP’s work, and leads ITEP’s work to shape the public debate around tax policy and ensure that policymakers, advocates, and other stakeholders are using ITEP’s data and analysis in order to make sound decisions.
Before joining ITEP in 2022, Jon was the Director of State Communications at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. At CBPP, he led a team that helps boost the communications capacity and provide strategic direction to the more than 40 state-based policy and advocacy organizations that make up the State Priorities Partnership. This work included everything from working on in-depth messaging and public-opinion research to managing state policy report rollouts to overseeing training and peer-learning opportunities for communicators throughout the network, and more.
Before that, he was Vice President at New Jersey Policy Perspective, where he led the organization’s strategic communications and advocacy campaigns and oversaw its policy development. His work at NJPP helped lead to a range of policy victories, including several increases in the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit, tax increases on the wealthiest New Jerseyans, more accountability of corporate tax breaks, boosts to the state’s minimum wage, Medicaid expansion, a statewide earned sick leave law, the first increase in TANF cash assistance in decades, and more. He also managed NJPP’s finances and operations and researched tax, budget, and economic issues. In New Jersey, he also served on Gov. Phil Murphy’s transition team, advising on tax and budget policy.
Jon has also worked as a writer and editor for a wide range of publications, nonprofit organizations, and authors. He holds an M.A. in media ecology from New York University and a B.S. in communications from Boston University. He currently serves on the Steering Committee of Americans for Tax Fairness. You can find him on Twitter at @WhitenJon.
jon at itep.orgRecent Publications and Posts view more
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Ending Direct File Program is a Gift to the Tax-Prep Industry That Will Cost Taxpayers Time and Money
The Trump administration reportedly plans to shutter the IRS Direct File program before it has a chance to get fully off the ground, taking away a free option for people to file their tax returns directly to the agency. Ending Direct File is another gift from this administration to large corporations, this time to the multibillion-dollar tax prep industry that profits from you filing your taxes.
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Turning IRS Agents to Deportation Will Reduce Public Revenues
The Trump Administration’s plan to turn IRS agents into deportation agents will result in lower tax collections in addition to the harm done to the families and communities directly affected by deportations.
Media Mentions view more
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Thomson Reuters: Pushback Against Trump Plan to End IRS Direct File
Lawmakers and tax policy organization officials sounded off against the Trump administration’s reported intention to end the IRS’ free e-filing…
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New Mexico In Depth: Poverty Fell More Than a Third in New Mexico Due to Tax Changes, But There’s More to Do
Federal data released last fall show that, after accounting for government benefits, over the last decade the share of New…