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Home >> Research >> Taxes

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Related Topics

• A Balanced Approach to Meeting the Needs of Texas
• A Tale of Two Deficits: How to Close Texas’ Short- and Long-Term Revenue Shortfalls
• The Benefits of a State Personal Income Tax

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Who Pays Texas Taxes?

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Author:
Dick Lavine /(512) 320-0222 x 101

April 3, 2009

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Our quality of life in Texas depends on our public structures—including public education, child health services, and transportation infrastructure—maintained by Texas tax dollars. A good tax system would not only provide adequate revenue to maintain these structures, but would also match the share of taxes paid with the share of income earned by each Texas family. However, the Comptroller's newly released biennial study of the fairness of the Texas tax system, Texas Exemptions and Tax Incidence, demonstrates conclusively that low- and moderate-income Texas families bear a disproportionate share of state and local taxes. We need a fairer system to fund public structures so can improve and maintain Texas families' quality of life.