State Budget
The state’s budget is a $50 billion+ opportunity, each year, to recommit to our values. MassBudget provides analysis and insights into how we can use the state budget as a tool to advance racial and economic justice in every corner of the Commonwealth.
Budget Browser
Antiracist Budget
Budget 101
Ongoing Tax Proposal Analysis
How Much Will Each District Benefit from the New Child & Dependent Tax Credit?
The proposed Child and Family Tax Credit would help families by providing a refundable credit each year for each child under 13 and dependent adults over 65 years of age or with disabilities. This dashboard identifies – by legislative district - how many dependents would be eligible.
Who Benefits from the New Tax Package?
The new tax package is the largest set of tax changes the Commonwealth has seen in some 15 years and will cost the Commonwealth over $1 billion each year in forgone tax collections. It includes some elements that improve tax fairness, and racial and economic equity, as well as other elements that make our state tax system less fair.
MassBudget Statement on the 2023 Tax Relief Package
Today, the conference committee presented the biggest package of tax changes in 15 years. We commend them for taking important steps to improve affordability for low- and middle-income households in Massachusetts. At the same time, our state fails to move toward racial and economic equity when we give away hundreds of millions of dollars to the richest families and large, profitable corporations.
New Census Data Highlights Need for Family Tax Credits Waiting in State House
While the Massachusetts Legislature debates two versions of expanded tax credits to improve affordability for families, new census data dramatically show what a difference these credits make to reduce poverty, especially for children.
New Poll: Big Majority of Voters Support Child and Family Tax Credit that Reaches $600
Newly conducted polling shows 77% of registered Massachusetts voters support the creation of a Child and Family Tax Credit of $600. The Massachusetts legislature is currently debating two competing proposals, one of which would provide a per-dependent benefit nearly twice as large as the other.
Final Tax Package Can Improve Tax Fairness & Help Build Toward Shared Prosperity
Currently, a conference committee is working on a compromise tax package between the House's and Senate's proposals. The fairest tax package would be one that delivers its benefits overwhelmingly to low- and middle-income households and which greatly limits tax cuts for very high-income and wealthy households.
State-Level Child Tax Credits are Having a Moment in the Sun: Will Massachusetts Families be Left in the Dark?
The Massachusetts legislature is considering creating the Child and Family Tax Credit (CFTC), a refundable tax credit for families with children and adult dependents. It is important for our elected officials to choose a more generous option, as many of our neighbors’ household budgets strain under the weight of an affordability crisis.
Estate Tax Cuts Worsen Our Large Racial Wealth Gap
If lawmakers cut the Massachusetts estate tax, it is a small number of high-income, white households that will receive the overwhelming share of the benefits. These cuts would worsen the problem of wealth inequality and undermine our ability to address the problem.
Estate Tax Cut Proposals Are Costly and Poorly Targeted – Alternative Solutions Exist
Current estate tax proposals would lead to a loss of state revenue and reduce the Commonwealth’s ability to make crucial investments, while having regressive impacts on racial and economic equity. The state should seek alternatives.
What’s Race Got to Do With It? Some Tax Proposals Would Widen Racial Inequality, Others Would Advance Equity
Some of the tax cuts proposed by the Massachusetts House in 2023 would widen economic and racial disparities by disproportionately benefiting wealthier, generally whiter households. Other proposed tax changes would advance equity and would disproportionately benefit households of color.
Comparing Tax Cut Proposals from 2022 to 2023
Massachusetts lawmakers have proposed tax policy changes in 2022 and 2023 that would reduce public revenue by large amounts—providing the most benefits to the most affluent households. This table compares the major, permanent tax cut packages proposed since last year.
Statement on the House Tax Reform Bill
Meaningful credits for working families mixed with benefits solely for the wealthy - MassBudget reacts to House of Representatives' recently released tax proposal.
Testimony to the Joint Committee on Revenue on the Governor’s Tax Proposals
Testimony presented to the Joint Committee on Revenue on March 28, 2023, regarding Governor Healey's tax proposals.
Taking Measure of the Governor’s Tax Plan
The Governor’s proposal would provide benefits to households across the income spectrum, but by far the largest benefits would accrue to a small number of very wealthy families.
Governor’s Estate Tax Plan Is Costly and Gives Biggest Breaks to Largest Estates – Better Options Exist
During the current legislative session, lawmakers will consider a number of proposals for changing the Massachusetts estate tax. Two proposals are compared here – one put forward by Governor Healey (H.42), and another, S.1784/H.2960, offered in the Senate and House.
Conference Committee
Statement by MassBudget on the FY2024 Budget
Today the legislature passed a budget bill for Fiscal Year 2024. The $56.26 billion budget now goes to Governor Healey. Enabled by new revenue from the Fair Share Amendment that the voters passed last November, the FY2024 budget makes important investments in education and transportation.
Six Things at Stake for Racial Justice in the FY 2024 Budget Conference
After examining the House and Senate Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposals, our budget analysts highlighted six differences between the two that have implications for racial equity.
Senate Budget
How Will We Spend Fair Share Dollars? Competing Proposals Highlight Needs and Opportunities
Fiscal Year 2024, which starts in July 2023, is the first state budget to include Fair Share dollars, and the Governor's, House, and Senate budget proposals differ in how they would spend Fair Share funds. How do their priorities compare?
Statement on the Senate Ways and Means Budget Proposal
The state budget process continues on as the Senate Ways and Means Committee (SWM) released its proposal for the State budget today. With recent news that year-to-date tax revenue collections are lower than expected, the Senate grapples with hard choices about the Commonwealth’s priorities.
House Budget
Statement on the House Budget
The final House version of the budget, at $56.2 billion, is $154 million larger than the Governor’s proposal. It includes notable amendments to the House Ways and Means proposal, but remains similar at its core.
Statement on the House Ways and Means Budget Proposal
While this proposal includes some important investments and policies, both it and the Governor’s proposal are limited by a set of proposed regressive tax cuts.
Statement on the House Tax Reform Bill
Meaningful credits for working families mixed with benefits solely for the wealthy - MassBudget reacts to House of Representatives' recently released tax proposal.
Governor's Budget
How Much Will Each District Benefit from the New Child & Dependent Tax Credit?
The proposed Child and Family Tax Credit would help families by providing a refundable credit each year for each child under 13 and dependent adults over 65 years of age or with disabilities. This dashboard identifies – by legislative district - how many dependents would be eligible.
Testimony to the Joint Committee on Revenue on the Governor’s Tax Proposals
Testimony presented to the Joint Committee on Revenue on March 28, 2023, regarding Governor Healey's tax proposals.
Taking Measure of the Governor’s Tax Plan
The Governor’s proposal would provide benefits to households across the income spectrum, but by far the largest benefits would accrue to a small number of very wealthy families.
Governor’s Estate Tax Plan Is Costly and Gives Biggest Breaks to Largest Estates – Better Options Exist
During the current legislative session, lawmakers will consider a number of proposals for changing the Massachusetts estate tax. Two proposals are compared here – one put forward by Governor Healey (H.42), and another, S.1784/H.2960, offered in the Senate and House.
MassBudget’s Look at the Governor’s Budget Proposal
The governor's budget proposal includes investments that will reduce some of the hardship faced by Bay Staters, but it also would deeply cut two major taxes for the wealthiest households, hurting our ability to fund those investments long-term.
Statement on Governor Healey’s Budget Proposal
Important investments and missed opportunities - MassBudget reacts to the Governor's budget proposal.
