Revenue & Spending

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby -- Position Paper

NETWORK opposes the permanent repeal the estate tax. As millions of people – parents and children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and the working poor – are forced to meet their most basic needs through charity, we are dismayed that the focus of attention is not on meeting their needs, but is on furthering tax cuts that will benefit the most affluent. Read the full NETWORK Position Statement on Permanent Repeal of the Estate Tax More on Tax Issues from NETWORK

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Independent Sector Policy Position on the Estate Tax and Charitable Tax Bequests

Read Independent Sector's Policy Position on the Estate Tax. The statement outlines the negative effects of estate tax repeal on charitable giving. More from Independent Sector.

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The Charitable Implications of the Estate Tax

The estate tax generates a significant amount of charitable contributions. In 1999, estate tax filers paid approximately $28 billion in gift and estate taxes, and made charitable bequests of nearly $15 billion. The estate tax plus charitable bequests is an important infusion of capital into our society for public benefit. Overall, the combination of bequests and estate/gift tax payments amounts to an annual infusion of $45 billion addressing public and charitable needs.

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State Fact Sheets

State: Number of Estates $3.5m and over: Returns as Percent of Decedents: Average Estate (in millions): Data above prepared by Judy Xanthopoulos, Ph.D., Quantria Strategies, LLC Estate tax returns by size of gross estate are estimates based on IRS public use Federal and State estate tax data, including "Estate Tax Returns Filed in 1999" and “Estate Taxes by State of Residence of Decedent, 1999.” Click here for further explanation

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Frequently Asked Questions About the Estate Tax

Q: Isn’t the estate tax a form of “double taxation?” First people have to pay income tax on earnings and then they pay again when they die because of the estate tax? A considerable portion of most estates are assets that have appreciated during the decedent’s lifetime on which no income taxes have ever been paid, since inheritances are exempt from income tax and capital gains taxes are only paid on assets that are sold or transferred.

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Fact Sheets on the Estate Tax

3 Downloadable Fact Sheets on the Estate Tax -- in PDF format for easy printing: The fact sheets listed below require Adobe Acrobat Reader -- To download the most recent version for free, click here (If you cannot access the files through the links, right-click on the underlined text, click "Save Link As," download to your directory, and open the document in Adobe Acrobat Reader.) About the Estate Tax Frequently Asked Questions About the Estate Tax Charitable Implications of the Estate Tax

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About the Estate Tax

General information about the estate tax. REPEALING THE ESTATE TAX WOULD CREATE A MASSIVE WINDFALL FOR THE COUNTRY’S WEALTHIEST FAMILIES

Only the largest estates are subject to the tax: An estate must exceed $1 million in 2002 for an individual ($2 million for couples). That amount rises to $3.5 million ($7 million for couples) by 2009.

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Stop Permanent Repeal of the Estate Tax

This alert provides background information on the estate tax and 5 action steps you can take to help prevent repeal of the estate tax. Read through the alert and then contact your Senators through this legislative link -- the talking points included in this alert are also available there to provide suggestions for your letter or call to your Senators.

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The Ever Expanding Superwaiver

A superwaiver provision is moving through the House that would bring a huge shift of power to the Executive Branch and states to override congressional authorizations and funding decisions for a variety of low-income programs.

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Nonprofit Organizations Around the Country Oppose Super-Waiver

More than 200 organizations from around the country and representing a variety of concerns and issues joined in sending a strong message to Representatives in Congress to oppose the super-waiver that has been included in the House's TANF reauthorization bills. The full letter, with all 200+ organizations, is provided here. For more information on the super-waiver and why these organizations are concerned, see OMB Watch's Super-Waiver Updates

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more resources

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby -- Position Paper

Independent Sector Policy Position on the Estate Tax and Charitable Tax Bequests

The Charitable Implications of the Estate Tax

State Fact Sheets

Frequently Asked Questions About the Estate Tax

Fact Sheets on the Estate Tax

About the Estate Tax

Stop Permanent Repeal of the Estate Tax

The Ever Expanding Superwaiver

Nonprofit Organizations Around the Country Oppose Super-Waiver

Pages

Living in the Shadow of Danger: Poverty, Race, and Unequal Chemical Facility Hazards

A Tale of Two Retirements: One for CEOs and One for the Rest of Us

Blowing Smoke: Chemical Companies Say “Trust Us,” But Environmental and Workplace Safety Violations Belie Their Rhetoric

Gasping for Support: Implementation of Tougher Air Quality Standards Will Require New Funds for State Agencies

Citizen Health & Safety Topics

Recent Reports

Living in the Shadow of Danger: State Scorecards

Living in the Shadow of Danger: Poverty, Race, and Unequal Chemical Facility Hazards

A Tale of Two Retirements: One for CEOs and One for the Rest of Us