Graph of the Day: Tax collections at historic lows

The share of income Oklahomans pay in state taxes has fallen to its lowest point in decades.  In 2010, Oklahomans paid just 5.5 percent of their total income in state taxes.  This includes sales tax, income tax, motor vehicle tax,… Read more [More...]

Economics 102

Arthur Laffer and OCPA have begun responding to a few of the many criticisms of their tax proposal. Their latest argument boils down to this: it’s “Economics 101” that tax cuts are always pro-growth, because when less income goes to… Read more [More...]

Fallin off a cliff

The tax cut plans being pushed by Oklahoma lawmakers contain plenty of bad ideas, but one may eclipse them all: Governor Fallin’s tax cliff. The tax cliff is the result of a badly designed tax bracket structure. Very few other… Read more [More...]

Betting the Farm: Ending the income tax creates huge risks for rural Oklahoma

Could doing away with Oklahoma’s income tax shift taxes not only onto low and middle–income families but also from urban areas to rural areas? Many programs, services, and incentives important for rural Oklahoma rely on our existing revenue structure and… Read more [More...]

Tax Reform Information Archives

Fact Sheets Don’t Pay for Tax Cuts on the Backs of Working Oklahoma Families  [HTML Version] Why It’s Critical to Save the Income Tax, and What You Can Do Today  [HTML Version] Why Saving the Income Tax is Critical for… Read more [More...]

Tax Foundation ranks Oklahoma among lowest tax states for business

A new study of state tax costs on business from the Tax Foundation ranks Oklahoma fifth best in the nation for new firms and 16th best for mature firms. Among states in the region, Oklahoma ranked second lowest in business… Read more [More...]

STATEMENT: Troubling new details on Governor Fallin's tax plan

Oklahoma Policy Institute Director David Blatt released a statement in response to Governor Fallin’s tax plan, which will be heard in a House committee for the first time this afternoon: As details emerge about Governor Fallin’s plan, more problems are… Read more [More...]

What the income tax pays for

The personal income tax is Oklahoma’s largest single revenue source. In 2011, the state collected $2.412 billion from the personal income tax, or slightly less than one in three dollars (31.7 percent) of total state tax collections. With a strong… Read more [More...]

Stuck in a Hole: What flat funding means for the common education budget

After three straight years of budget cuts, funding for public education in Oklahoma is in dire straits.  This year’s appropriation to the Department of Education is $254 million, or 10.0 percent, less than it was in 2009.  In the past… Read more [More...]

How Oklahoma is falling behind

Even as the economy recovers, it’s become increasingly apparent that there is no end in sight to Oklahoma’s budget woes. Oklahoma has seen three straight years of budget cuts, and according to one House leader, we may be in for… Read more [More...]