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Where Might Home Sales Be Subject to the Fair Share Amendment? A Local Breakdown
In the majority of Massachusetts cities and towns, no homes sold for a net gain of $1 million or more, meaning they wouldn’t be subject to any additional taxes under the Fair Share Amendment.
62F Credits Benefit the Rich
The “tax cap law,” or what is known as “62F,” sets an artificial limit on how much tax revenue Massachusetts can collect, regardless of the current needs of the Commonwealth. This law in effect transfers to higher income households tax revenue paid by lower income households and does nothing to improve racial or economic equity in our state.
Interactive Map: Most Home Sales Will Not Likely Lead to Fair Share Tax Payments
Even in Massachusetts’ hot housing market with many homes selling for over $1 million, the vast majority of all home sales will not subject the home sellers to a proposed “millionaire’s tax.”
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Best Research Underscores Value of Fair Share Amendment for Massachusetts Residents
An extensive body of research shows that Fair Share would improve tax fairness, support economic and racial justice, and strengthen our state economy. The research contradicts inaccurate and/or misleading claims made by opponents. Very clearly, Fair Share would have a meaningful, positive impact on millions of people and every community throughout the Commonwealth.
A Bridge Too Far: Sagging Investment Leaves 644 Massachusetts Bridges Structurally Deficient
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation maintains a database tracking 7,880 bridges across the Commonwealth. This paper examines the condition of these bridges and the impact of bridge disrepair on communities. It analyzes how some regions and populations are harmed more than others, and how these problems could be helped by investing more public resources in transportation.
A Look at Funding: The Emergency Rental Assistance Program in Massachusetts
The Emergency Rental Assistance Program is not the only way to ensure adequate rental assistance support in the Commonwealth, other ARPA funding or state dollars could be utilized to encourage housing security.
Fair Share Tax on Incomes Over $1 Million Would Generate at Least $2 Billion a Year
MassBudget estimates that the Fair Share tax on incomes over $1 million is likely to generate at least $2 billion a year in new revenue …
Average Income in Massachusetts for Every Occupation Is Below $1 Million
According to the most current federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data for Massachusetts (2021), average income for every occupation listed falls far below the $1 million threshold proposed in the Fair Share Amendment.
A More Generous Compromise: The Legislature’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Proposal
The Legislature’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget released earlier this week by the Conference Committee differs dramatically from both the House and Senate proposals in part because of its larger bottom line, which estimates tax collections of $39.58 billion, an increase of $2.66 billion or 7.2 percent.
Prospects for Investment, Stability, and Growth in Early Education in Massachusetts
As the challenges of the COVID pandemic continue to reverberate across the state, early education and care (EEC) providers persevere every day. Early care centers across the Commonwealth continue to deliver enriching support for young children while allowing parents to work and provide for their families. EEC has an essential role in keeping our state economy moving during these challenging times.
Massachusetts’ Taxes Are About Average
Massachusetts currently has the highest per capita income of any state, but the Commonwealth lags many states when it comes to using those resources to support funding for education, health, human services, transportation and the like. Massachusetts is even below the national average.
Current Estate Tax Proposals Would Give Largest Benefits to Wealthiest Estates; Alternative Method Would Fix This Problem
The tax on inherited estates is Massachusetts’ only tax that directly reduces wealth inequality. Although the pandemic has highlighted disparities between rich and poor families, the Governor and some in the Legislature have proposed changes to the estate tax that would largely benefit the state’s wealthiest households.
When A Surplus Is Not Extra
Sometimes a “surplus” is not really a surplus at all, and the term “tax surplus” can be particularly misleading. A tax surplus occurs when tax collections come in higher than the amount expected when the state created its budget at the beginning of the fiscal year. When that initial estimate turns out to be too low, there is a “surplus.” It does not mean that the state budget has already met the needs of the moment or that there is extra unneeded revenue.
Options to Adjust the Estate Tax While Retaining Revenue and Progressivity
The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center was asked to outline options for changes to the estate tax that would preserve revenue, maintain progressivity, and also cut taxes on or exempt estates with a taxable value up to around $1.2 million. Since households subject to the estate tax are among the state’s wealthiest taxpayers, any reductions to revenue from the estate tax represent a transfer of wealth from the Commonwealth to its wealthiest families. Even so, some options are better than others.
Brief for Amicus Curiae on the Gig Worker Ballot Question
MassBudget’s brief to Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court asking to dismiss the ballot question exempting gig companies from providing employee benefits and protections. The brief outlined how excluding these workers from labor protections and failure to contribute to social insurance funds for them would hurt these workers and more broadly erode labor protections and employment-based social supports across the Commonwealth.
Options for Targeted Tax Relief and a Warning About Estate Tax Changes
June 10, 2022 To: House and Senate Ways and Means Committee members and staff Re: Options for Targeted Tax Relief and a Warning About Estate …
Ready for Resolution: The Fiscal Year 2023 Senate Budget
After debate and quick consideration of more than 1,000 amendments, the Senate increased their Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget bottom line by more than $90 million. The budget debate has highlighted the power of this $50 billion bill to set the tone and the direction for the state in the year to come.
Moving the Recovery Story Forward: The Fiscal Year 2023 Senate Ways and Means Budget
The Senate Committee on Ways and Means (SWM) released a budget proposal that illustrates again how a state budget can be a powerful tool for advancing equity and improving well-being – as long as policymakers don’t decide to give hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue each year to the wealthiest residents of the Commonwealth.
