A Smart Approach to Closing a Costly Loophole
Senator Rodney Ellis proposed new legislation Tuesday to close a state loophole that allows commercial property owners to skirt their responsibility and significantly reduce their property tax bills...
View ArticleImpact of Lower Oil Prices to State Revenue
The price of oil, which was over $100 per barrel last summer, has lately been selling at half that amount. Drilling new wells has slowed down, so we’re left to wonder: What happens to state revenue if...
View ArticleWho Pays Taxes in Texas?
Last week’s release of the 2015 Tax Exemption and Tax Incidence report by the Comptroller’s office is great reminder that Texas tax system is in dire need of a little spring-cleaning. The report...
View ArticleBudget Season in Texas Means Sleepless Nights
What keeps you up at night? Is it the risks of not having health insurance? The rising cost of college? Overcrowded classrooms at your child’s school? Well, it’s budget season at the Texas Capitol, and...
View ArticleSquabbling Over the Best Way to Shortchange Our Kids
Tax cut fever continues to spread through the Capitol, and we keep asking the same question: is it appropriate or fiscally responsible to place tax cuts at the top of the agenda? State leadership seems...
View ArticleUndocumented Immigrants Paid $1.5 Billion+ in Texas Taxes
A just-released Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy report estimates that undocumented immigrants in Texas collectively paid $1.5 billion in property, sales, and excise taxes in 2012. (For other...
View ArticleFAQ: Texas Taxes and Tax Cut Proposals
The House and Senate have different tax cut proposals, generating many questions about what these tax cuts could mean for the future of Texas. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions. What...
View ArticleFlat-Dollar Homestead Exemption Benefits Homeowners and Municipalities
In Texas, school districts grant residential homeowners a flat-dollar-amount homestead exemption of $15,000, but local governments are currently prohibited from doing the same. While they can offer...
View ArticleThe Case for a Flat-Dollar Exemption
In the 2015 session, legislators considered a promising proposed constitutional amendment to give cities, counties, and other local taxing units the option of lowering property taxes through a...
View ArticleTexas Undocumented Immigrants Pay At Least $1.5 Billion in Taxes
Undocumented immigrants in Texas pay at least $1.5 billion in property, sales, and excise taxes annually, according to the new Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) report. According to the...
View ArticleHave Property Taxes Gone Up, Really?
Property taxes are the major source of support for local public services – schools, emergency services, roads, parks and libraries. They are also among the most unpopular of all state and local taxes....
View ArticleSales Tax Holidays Aren’t Good for Texas
Last week I presented invited testimony to the Senate Finance Committee about sales tax holidays. Sales tax holidays sound good to consumers, especially in the late summer right before school starts....
View ArticleThe Staggering Unfairness of our State Tax System
We hear plenty from elected leaders about Texas being a “low-tax state,” but we are actually a high-tax state for many families. By setting up a tax system that puts... The post The Staggering...
View ArticleDon’t Get Distracted by Recapture: Our Biggest School Finance Challenge is a...
Though it is the state’s responsibility to provide a substantial share of school funding, Texas relies heavily on local property taxes to fund our schools. Because property values vary greatly... The...
View ArticleSB 2 Will Have Unintended Consequences for Texans
Tying the hands of cities and counties won’t make the needs of Texans disappear The Texas Senate and the Texas House are scheduled to vote as soon as this evening... The post SB 2 Will Have Unintended...
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