Why raise taxes on working families?

Lost amid much of the tax cut discussion has been the fact that proposals coming out of the legislature would actually increase taxes on hundreds of thousands of low- and moderate-income families. That’s because they could lose a host of… Read more [More...]

The "tax cut" bait and switch

As they ponder plans to cut Oklahoma’s top income tax rate, most lawmakers admit the state cannot afford a cut without eliminating many other tax breaks. They emphasize that we should close loopholes for corporate “special-interests.” Yet as details of… Read more [More...]

Task force proposal would raise taxes on most Oklahomans, especially harm seniors and families with children

A proposal by the legislature’s tax reform task force would raise taxes for most Oklahomans, with the worst impact on low-income seniors and families with children, according to a new fact sheet from the Oklahoma Policy Institute. The task force… Read more [More...]

Task Force proposes tax hike on poor and middle class to benefit the wealthiest

This afternoon, the Senate Task Force on Comprehensive Tax Reform released its final report. The most significant recommendation is to make further cuts to the top rate and replace that revenue by ending numerous tax credits. Almost two-thirds of the… Read more [More...]

Beware the tax shift

An idea floating around in the tax reform debate has been to swap tax credits for a reduction in the top income tax rate. That’s one of the motivations behind the tax credit task force, which has looked at reigning… Read more [More...]

Can we stop the runaway train of tax expenditures?

In an earlier post, we discussed tax breaks that had been extended or newly created in the most recent legislative session. The governor promised to eliminate tax credits that “do not create jobs,” but there were no successful bills to… Read more [More...]

Bill would raise taxes for 1 million low-income Oklahomans

As we pointed out in an earlier post, there is more than one way to cut taxes. We can do it in a way that mostly benefits those with the highest incomes, as is the case with cutting the top… Read more [More...]