Tax Justice Digest stories about District of Columbia
An informative new report from the DC Fiscal Policy Institute (DCFPI) details the merits of the plan and concludes that, "[b]ecause it would raise revenues progressively, without adversely affecting low-income residents, the Equitable Income Tax Act is a reasonable approach to boosting revenue in this challenging budget year." DCFPI offers numerous other resources for those interested in following local tax and budget debates, in particular its FY10 Budget Toolkit.
From coast to coast, state and local governments are coming face-to-face with the consequences of turmoil in the nation’s housing and financial markets, as tax collections are falling well short of expectations and are opening up substantial budget gaps. The country’s two
Earlier this week, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) released a brief report using IRS data and revealing that the most unequal states in the country also happen to be states that lack the type of progressive tax provisions that could reduce this inequality and raise badly needed revenue. The most unequal states either don’t have a personal income tax or have one in need of improvement. Consequently, these states are left with tax systems that, on the whole, are unsustainable, inadequate, and unfair over the long-run.
The IRS data show that, in 2006, ten states -- Wyoming, New York, Nevada, Connecticut, Florida, the District of Columbia, California, Massachusetts, Texas, and Illinois -- have greater concentrations of reported income among their very wealthiest residents than the country as a whole. Yet, the tax systems in these states generally ignore that very important reality. Of those ten states, four lack a broad-based personal income tax and three either impose a single, flat rate personal income tax or have a rate structure that all but functions in that manner. Three do use a graduated rate structure, but of these, two have cut income taxes for their most affluent residents substantially over the past two decades.
Given this mismatch, it should not be too surprising that over half of these states face severe or chronic budget shortfalls. After all, the lack of an income tax, the lack of a graduated rate structure, or moves to make the income tax less progressive all mean that a state’s revenue system will not completely reflect the concentration of income among the very wealthy and therefore will not yield as much revenue.
Case in point:
The District of Columbia this week increased its already highest in the nation Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) from 35% to 40% of the federal EITC. This change will provide much needed relief to low-income families in the District who are feeling the pinch of rising prices during the current economic slowdown. It also sends a message to policymakers everywhere about the effectiveness of the EITC as a method for offsetting regressive sales and property taxes for those with the most need. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have an EITC. Nine of those states, however, have EITCs of less than ten percent of the federal. In addition, three states fail to make their credits refundable – meaning those lowest-income families with little income tax liability are unable to see any benefit. While all these states should be praised for at least having an EITC, this recent change to the EITC in D.C. provides a great example towards which these states with less generous credits should strive.
Sales tax holidays are growing in popularity this year with four more states, Alabama, Maryland, Tennessee and Virginia, joining nine others and the District of Columbia in waiving sales and use taxes for a limited time during July and August. To see a list of participating states and tax holiday dates, click here.
As ITEP staff told USA Today earlier this week, "This tax break makes sense for lawmakers because it's cheap and avoids real reform." State legislatures claim that tax holidays alleviate the tax burden on working families and jump-start local retail businesses. In reality, however, sales tax holidays are a political gimmick that probably helps consumers less than proponents claim.
ITEP Testimony on D.C. Tax Reform Legislation
ITEP’s analysis of Bill 16-35 shows that it would impact the District’s tax system in two important ways. First, the bill would make the District’s tax system less unfair by reducing the income tax on low- and middle-income D.C. residents. Second, it would reduce the revenues available to fund public services by about $86 million if implemented in 2004...
