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Biden administration moves to protect Alaska wilderness; opening statements and first witness in NY trial; SCOTUS hears Starbucks case, with implications for unions on the line; rural North Carolina town gets pathway to home ownership.

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The Supreme Court weighs cities ability to manage a growing homelessness crisis, anti-Israeli protests spread to college campuses nationwide, and more states consider legislation to ban firearms at voting sites and ballot drop boxes.

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Wyoming needs more educators who can teach kids trade skills, a proposal to open 40-thousand acres of an Ohio forest to fracking has environmental advocates alarmed and rural communities lure bicyclists with state-of-the-art bike trail systems.

Report: Big Companies Good at Avoiding State Taxes

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Thursday, March 20, 2014   

BOISE, Idaho – Tax cuts for business are on the table at the Idaho Legislature, and a report from the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy today shows that legislators should ask some tough questions about how those cuts will be paid for.

The report finds big, profitable companies constantly ask for more tax breaks, even as most already have seen their state tax rates decline since 2008 – and some collect refunds after paying zero taxes.

"I think part of the reason you see so many companies asking for these corporate handouts is that they know there's a track record of success," says Matt Gardner, the Institute’s director.

Gardner says the point is that when taxes are cut, the difference is made up elsewhere – usually through increased taxes for other businesses and individuals, or through higher fees and other charges.

Another result is lower funding for state responsibilities, such as education.

Gardner says he hopes the report serves as a reason for lawmakers to embark on corporate tax reform, examining tax breaks that may be outdated or eliminating tax breaks for companies already paying no taxes.

He says that's a tough job, especially because legislators usually don't know what corporate taxes look like.

"It's ludicrous that state lawmakers are being lobbied by these companies for further tax cuts without knowing whether these companies are paying any corporate taxes to begin with," he stresses.

The report specifically delved into taxes paid by 269 large corporations – all profitable – and found that collectively, they avoided paying more than $73 billion in state corporate taxes.

Ninety companies, including Boeing, paid no state income tax at all.






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