PA Taxes

Individuals, Not Corporations, Pick Up the Tax Tab for EITC Scholarships

June 25, 2012

Expanding the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) now will drain more state revenue away from public schools at a time when many are laying off teachers, cutting kindergarten or prekindergarten, and eliminating courses, PBPC researchers write in a new analysis.

PA House Sets Budget Priorities, Laying Groundwork for Final Budget Negotiations

June 12, 2012

The Pennsylvania House amended the Senate Budget last week to add $91 million to the Departments of Education, Environmental Protection and Public Welfare, but because new spending had to be offset elsewhere the plan also includes cuts to the Governor’s office, economic development programs and general government operations.

Cracker Plant Tax Credit Expensive for Taxpayers While Promising Few Permanent Jobs

June 8, 2012

Governor Tom Corbett’s administration has proposed giving $1.65 billion in state tax credits over 25 years to companies that build and operate an ethylene cracker plant in Pennsylvania. It would be a windfall for Shell Oil, which is evaluating a site for a cracker plant in Beaver County.

Reforming an Antiquated Sales Tax Perk for Big Retailers

June 5, 2012

Pennsylvanians pay sales tax on numerous purchases, but few realize that the store collecting the tax gets to keep a portion of it. Some large retailers are able to keep millions. Governor Corbett proposes to reform it by placing a cap on how much any one retailer can receive.

Memo to Editors & Reporters: With Final Push for State Budget On, Here’s Where We Stand

June 1, 2012

The Senate, responding to Pennsylvanians’ deep concerns about service cuts, passed a budget bill that is a significant improvement over Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget. Still, lawmakers are leaving money on the table.

$2 Billion in Business Tax Breaks Come at Expense of Schools, Communities

May 22, 2012

Next year, Pennsylvania will spend $2.4 billion on business tax breaks. That amount has tripled over the last 10 years and does not count the hundreds of millions of dollars lost annually to corporate tax loopholes.

Memo: PA House Bill Won't Close Tax Loopholes But Will Make Major New Business Tax Cut

April 30, 2012

The Pennsylvania House will take up a bill this week that couples a half-hearted attempt to close corporate tax loopholes with nearly a billion dollars in business tax cuts by the end of the decade. Read Sharon Ward's memo to editors and reporters outlining concerns about the bill.

HB 2150: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

April 19, 2012

House Bill 2150 will prevent some corporations from using loopholes to avoid paying income taxes, but revenue raised from this change doesn't come close to covering the amount the state will lose in revenue from tax cuts in the bill.

Still No Accountability with Taxpayer-Funded Vouchers for Private and Religious School Tuition | Stephen Herzenberg and Rachel Tabachnick
Who Pays for Property Tax Elimination (We All Do) | Mark Price
PA School District Fact Sheets | Mark Price
Need a Data-Driven Break From The Election? Let's Talk Education Funding... | Mark Price
How Low Will They Go? | Marc Stier
Why Do Rural Legislators Vote For Voucher Programs That Deliver No Benefits To Their Counties? | Stephen Herzenberg
What Would an Adequate Pennsylvania Budget Look Like This Year? | Marc Stier

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