Research Reports

House hunters: How high taxes hurt home investment in Illinois

Without property and income tax relief, housing in Illinois will continue to be less attractive, Illinois’ population is likely to continue its decline and housing price appreciation can be expected to continue to lag the rest of the nation.

Pillar

Tax hikes vs. reform: Why Illinois must amend its constitution to fix the pension crisis

Reforming future benefit growth via a constitutional amendment is the only way to ensure the retirement security of government workers, protect taxpayer budgets and fulfill the needs of Illinoisans reliant on core services.

Pillar

Pensions make Illinois property taxes among nation’s most painful

Any meaningful property tax relief for Illinoisans means reforming Illinois’ unsustainable public pension system.

Pillar

Puzzled by property taxes: Improving transparency and fairness in Illinois’ assessment system

Illinois should take steps toward more accurate and frequent property assessments to ensure the tax burden is distributed as fairly as possible.

Pillar

Tax hike to balance budget shortfall could cost Illinois’ economy 9,000 jobs

Tying government spending to economic growth protects taxpayers from future tax hikes.

Pillar

Bad budgeting basics: How Illinois’ budget process hurts taxpayers

It is time to give taxpayers and businesses the certainty they need to plan a long-term future in the state.

Pillar

Property-tax-for-pensions plan would pummel Illinois homeowners

With one proposal to pay off Illinois’ pension debt asking the typical homeowner to pay more than $1,900 in additional property taxes for the next 30 years, the stakes for pension reform have never been clearer.

Pillar

Two things Illinois homeowners should know about the property tax assessment process

Inaccuracy and unfairness in the property tax assessment process mean some homeowners, especially those in poorer areas, pay a disproportionate share of the overall tax burden.

Pillar

False promises, real harm: Why Illinoisans should reject a progressive income tax

States with a progressive income tax see greater income inequality, and have seen income inequality rise faster than states without a progressive income tax.