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Informing the debate on tax policy nationwide with research and data-driven solutions.

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ITEP @itep.org · Nov 22
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States might hesitate to adopt OBBBA's sweeping tax changes as it harms public services and overwhelmingly benefits the wealthy.

But there’s at least one OBBBA provision worth adopting: a tax hike on excessive CEO pay.
itep.org/tax-deductio...
Curbing Tax Deductions for Executive Pay is a Federal Tax Change States Should Get Behind
This provision in last summer’s tax law could actually make budget-balancing a little bit easier for states if they follow suit.
itep.org
January 16, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Reposted by ITEP
Oil and gas companies receive enormous tax breaks in the U.S.

A @factcoalition.bsky.social report found that 11 of these companies are paying 5x more income tax to foreign governments.

And under the new Trump tax law, oil-industry tax avoidance could get worse.
itep.org/oil-gas-comp...
Oil and Gas Companies Are Paying Less Tax to the U.S. than to Foreign Governments
Since 2017, these companies paid $135 billion in income taxes to foreign governments, but just $29 billion to the U.S.
itep.org
November 3, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Reposted by ITEP
Trump’s tax bill hacks away at our schools.
States better move fast to raise taxes on rich people & corporation to make up for the shortfall.
Schools Brace for Mid-Year Cuts as 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Changes Begin
State decisions on incorporating federal tax cuts into their own tax codes could strain school budgets.
www.edweek.org
January 15, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Reposted by ITEP
FIFA demanded sales tax breaks on World Cup Tickets. That means millions of dollars in lost revenue for host cities.

Each city is also expected to shoulder between $100 to $200 million in costs related to infrastructure, security, and logistics. itep.org/fifa-2026-wo...
Not-So-Free Kick: How the 2026 FIFA World Cup Will Cost Cities Millions
Preparations are underway for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Sixteen cities across North America will host its matches, and tickets…
itep.org
December 9, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Some states are losing well over $100 million per year just to give tax breaks to data centers.
January 14, 2026 at 8:25 PM
The estate tax affects less than 1% of Americans. Getting rid of this tax would be a blatant giveaway to the absolute richest families in this country.
BREAKING: Republicans are trying to abolish the estate tax, as part of a bill they call "Making the American Dream Affordable Again."

The reality is this would let the super-rich transfer their wealth to the children, and cost the government $281 billion over the next decade.
January 14, 2026 at 3:48 PM
No tax on tips or overtime does little to actually help workers.
January 13, 2026 at 8:01 PM
States need more revenue. The wealth gap is growing wider. Americans think billionaires pay too little in taxes.

It's no surprise that more states want to explore ways to raise revenue from the wealthiest households.
www.marketwatch.com/story/tax-th...
Crucial questions about wealth taxes could be answered this year — including whether wealthy people move to avoid them
A new year has unleashed a new round of debate on how much more money America’s super-rich should be paying in taxes.
www.marketwatch.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:08 PM
The IRS is losing the ability to audit private equity firms due to a severe lack of resources and expertise.

Audits on firms such as Blackrock and Apollo have been "almost nonexistent."

This allows for more tax avoidance to go unchecked.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/b...
Push to Audit Private Equity and Venture Capital Falters Under Trump
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Missouri lawmakers have enacted broad, expensive, and regressive tax cuts throughout the past year.

These tax cuts mainly benefit the wealthy and further constrain the state’s public services.
itep.org/missouri-bud...
Show Me Where We’re Going: Missouri’s Fiscally Irresponsible Path Will Be Paid for by Everyday People
Missouri lawmakers have been pushing regressive and shortsighted tax policies that undermine everyday workers and sabotage the Show-Me State’s ability to raise revenue.
itep.org
January 9, 2026 at 4:39 PM
Despite what Georgia lawmakers are trying to claim, eliminating income taxes hardly solves the problem of affordability.

It takes a major source of state revenue away from public services and mostly benefits the wealthy.
apnews.com/article/geor...
Georgia Republicans move to scrap state income tax by 2032 despite concerns
Georgia is the latest state to consider eliminating its personal income tax, with Republican leaders in the Senate backing a proposal to phase it out by 2032.
apnews.com
January 8, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Reposted by ITEP
According to @goodjobsfirst.org, at least 10 states are already losing more than $100 million each in revenue per year from data center tax breaks.

That's money that could be going to education, infrastructure, or anything more useful than another data center. itep.org/states-are-o...
States Are Opening a Pandora’s Box of Data Centers
State governments are rushing to offer billions of dollars in subsidies to data center construction, apparently without understanding their full costs.
itep.org
January 7, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Tax credits for low-income workers are an effective, research-backed tool to reduce poverty.

In the same way states are building upon federal tax credits, localities should consider building on state tax credits.
itep.org/pennsylvania...
Pennsylvania Just Gave Low-Income Workers a Tax Credit Boost. Now It’s Philadelphia’s Turn.
In the same way states are building upon federal tax credits, localities should consider building on state tax credits.
itep.org
January 7, 2026 at 4:01 PM
A global deal to curb the use of offshore tax havens has caved to make an exemption for the U.S.

U.S multinational corporations can still use accounting gimmicks to make their profits appear in low- to no-tax countries.
apnews.com/article/tax-...
US-based multinational companies will be exempt from global tax deal
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has finalized a deal exempting U.S. multinational corporations from paying more corporate taxes overseas.
apnews.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Reposted by ITEP
NEW: In 2025, U.S. billionaire wealth surged to $8.1 trillion — an increase of over 20.8%.

The top 15 U.S. billionaires alone saw their wealth surge to $3.2 trillion, a whopping 33% increase over 2024.

IPS scholars @chuck77.bsky.social and @ocampomar.bsky.social:
Richest 15 U.S. centi-billionaires see wealth surge 33 percent to $3.2 trillion - Institute for Policy Studies
Richest 15 U.S. centi-billionaires see wealth surge 33 percent to $3.2 trillion
ips-dc.org
January 5, 2026 at 3:29 PM
The new tax law President Trump signed earlier this year will send the richest 1% of households about $1 trillion in tax cuts over the next decade.

For comparison, the bill’s cuts to Medicaid will total $930 billion over the same period. itep.org/2025-the-yea...
December 31, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Earlier this year, Tesla reported $0 in federal income tax on $2.3 billion of U.S. income.

Over the past 3 years, Elon Musk’s company reported $10.8 billion of U.S. income and paid just $48 million in federal income tax. That’s a three-year federal tax rate of 0.4%. itep.org/2025-the-yea...
2025: The Year in Tax Policy
From Congressional discussions over the so-called
itep.org
December 29, 2025 at 5:17 PM
“If you want to say that this is about affordability and improving affordability of cars, then it makes it really hard to feel like you’ve done your job well if most of the market is out of reach of this deduction and not actually able to use it.” www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/u...
Trump Has a New Auto Loan Tax Break. Here’s Who Could Benefit.
www.nytimes.com
December 28, 2025 at 3:33 PM
A recent property tax proposal from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott seems inspired by none other than California's infamous Prop 13.

Among other consequences, this would end up being a big tax cut for the rich with limited benefits for everyone else.
itep.org/texas-proper...
Texas Property Tax Plan Mimics California’s Damaging Prop 13
This proposal would disrupt the state’s housing market and jeopardize local revenues while doing very little to help workers and families struggling to pay their property tax bills – just as Prop 13 d...
itep.org
December 22, 2025 at 6:29 PM
"We have reached a point where any mix of solutions to our nation’s economic problems is going to involve the wealthiest Americans contributing more."

Mitt Romney agrees with the majority of Americans that it's time to tax the rich. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/o...
Opinion | Mitt Romney: Tax the Rich, Like Me
www.nytimes.com
December 19, 2025 at 5:16 PM
House Republicans have chosen to not extend health care tax credits that are expiring at the end of the year.

This is estimated to cause 4 million people, including many self-employed workers and small business owners, to lose coverage.
www.cbpp.org/press/statem...
Congressional Republicans Fail to Help Millions Afford Health Care
Congressional Republicans could have followed through on their promises to help families afford the basics by extending the premium tax credit enhancements to help them enroll in affordable, comprehen...
www.cbpp.org
December 19, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Should corporations pay more in taxes? Yes.

The U.S needs a tax code that is more progressive and raises more revenue than the one we have now.

But why start with the way we tax corporations? Here are 10 reasons:
itep.org/why-the-us-s...
10 Reasons Why the U.S. Should Reform Its Corporate Income Tax
The U.S. needs a tax code that is more progressive and that raises more revenue than the one we have…
itep.org
December 18, 2025 at 4:28 PM
More corporate tax cuts? Delaware says no thank you.

The state will save over $300 million in revenue by not mirroring a few of Trump's corporate tax cuts into their own state tax codes.

Even better, more states are considering this as well.
whyy.org/articles/del...
Delaware will save more than $300M after federal tax decoupling takes effect
Delaware’s corporate tax revenue was at risk due to federal tax provisions passed in the “one big, beautiful bill.”
whyy.org
December 17, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Tariffs have been wrongly portrayed to the public as a costless alternative to taxes. You are paying for them.

Even corporate executives are now admitting to passing the costs of tariffs on to consumers by raising prices.
itep.org/president-tr...
President Trump Says His Tariffs Aren’t Paid by Americans. Corporations Are Indicating the Opposite.
Corporations have publicly revealed that they are passing the cost of tariffs on to Americans—the opposite of what the executive branch has said is happening.
itep.org
December 16, 2025 at 6:14 PM
American corporations using offshore tax havens to dodge U.S. taxes continues to be a problem.

Instead of stopping corporate tax avoidance, the Trump administration is enabling it by attacking the global minimum tax.
itep.org/tax-havens-c...
Tax Haven Data Demonstrate Need for Global Minimum Tax Despite Opposition from Trump Administration
American corporations use accounting gimmicks to make profits appear to be earned in tax havens. This widespread problem could be fixed by Congress enacting legislation to implement a minimum tax on c...
itep.org
December 15, 2025 at 4:35 PM