Press Releases
Dale J. Knapp or Todd A. Berry
608-241-9789
wistax@wistax.org
New State Report Card Shows Start of Income Rebound
Wisconsin’s Competitiveness Tracked, Compared to Neighbor States
May 15, 2012
Download Press ReleaseMADISON—Wisconsin’s per capita income rose 4.8% in 2011, the largest increase in five years. That is one of the bright spots in the state’s new report card, “Measuring Success: Benchmarks for a Competitive Wisconsin,” prepared annually by the nonpartisan Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WISTAX) for Competitive Wisconsin, Inc. (CWI).
Read moreDale J. Knapp or Todd A. Berry
608-241-9789
wistax@wistax.org
State Income Tax Has Unintended Consequences
WISTAX Looks at Overwithholding, Unlegislated Tax Hikes, and More
April 9, 2012
Download Press ReleaseMADISON—As the 2012 income tax season ends, many filers would probably agree that it may be time to add the Wisconsin income tax to Ripley’s “Believe It or Not.” Explains Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WISTAX) President Todd A. Berry, “Years of piecemeal change, often driven by the narrow lobbyist agendas, have changed our state income tax into a hodgepodge of unintended consequences, conflicting incentives, and unnecessary complexity.” Berry offered these observations in making public findings of a two-part study prepared by the WISTAX research team. Celebrating its 80th year, WISTAX is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to public policy research and citizen education.
Read moreKyle C. Christianson or Todd A. Berry
608-241-9789
wistax@wistax.org
Looking Back: State Finances in the Past Decade
Growing Deficits, Rising Debt, and Declining Assets Contributed to State’s Financial Woes
March 26, 2012
Download Press ReleaseMADISON—While Wisconsin’s fiscal health for this year (2011-12) and beyond is a work in progress, a new report from the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WISTAX) provides the first comprehensive look at state fiscal health at the end of the prior decade. As WISTAX President Todd A. Berry observed, “It is not particularly pretty, and governors and legislators of both political parties share responsibility.”
Read moreKyle C. Christianson or Todd A. Berry
608-241-9789
wistax@wistax.org
State Sales Tax Collections Rise 1.5% Annually During 2000-11
Use of Sales Tax Here Remains Below National Average
February 22, 2012
Download Press ReleaseMADISON—In a little-noticed trend, Wisconsin sales tax collections have been anemic for years. State sales tax growth averaged just 1.5% per year since 2000, more than four percentage points below the average of the preceding decade. New spending patterns, fewer taxable items, rising online sales, and the last two recessions all likely affected tax revenues, according to the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WISTAX). In its latest report, “The Sales Tax: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow,” WISTAX reviews the sales tax and its place in a 21st-century economy. Celebrating its 80th year, WISTAX is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to policy research and citizen education.
Read moreDale J. Knapp or Todd A. Berry
608-241-9789
wistax@wistax.org
Wisconsin’s Migration Trends Turning Negative
Since 2001, State Lost As Much As $8 Billion in Income from Interstate Migration
February 1, 2012
Download Press ReleaseMADISON—Over the last 15 years, Wisconsin has shifted from a net gainer of people and income from migration to a net loser, according to a new study from the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WISTAX) that relies on U.S. tax returns. During 2001-10, the state lost as much as $8 billion of household income from more people leaving than coming to the state. The report, “Moving To and From Wisconsin: Migration and the Badger State,” also cites significant numbers of high-income retirees leaving the Badger State for Florida. WISTAX is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to public policy research and citizen education.
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