The Coalition on Human Needs (http://www.chn.org) has shared the following list of helpful resources concerning taxes and the economy:

Who Pays? A Distributional Analysis of the Tax Systems in All 50 States (Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy at http://www.itepnet.org/whopays3.pdf)

This is the third edition of ITEP’s comprehensive analysis of state and local tax systems in all fifty states. The study shows that on average, state and local tax systems require the poorest taxpayers to pay the highest effective tax rates. The report is especially relevant during the current economic crisis. “In the coming months, lawmakers across the nation will be forced to make difficult decisions about budget-balancing tax changes—which makes it vital to understand who is hit hardest by state and local taxes right now,” said Matthew Gardner, lead author of the study.

Battered by the Storm: How the Safety Net is Failing Americans and How to Fix It (Institute for Policy Studies, Center for Community Change, Jobs with Justice and Legal Momentum at http://www.ips-dc.org/getfile.php?id=473)

This national study concludes that the economic crisis is still on the rise for millions of Americans, while at the same time the social safety net is failing to support many of them. It also offers comprehensive plans to combat poverty and unemployment immediately and strategies for the long-term.

Additional Federal Fiscal Relief Needed to Help States Address Recession’s Impact: Without it, States’ Steps to Balance Their Budgets Could Cost the Economy 900,000 Jobs Next Year (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities at http://www.cbpp.org/files/11-11-09stim.pdf)

This CBPP report outlines in clear terms why it is critical for federal policymakers to provide additional fiscal relief to states. It reviews how state fiscal assistance from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has helped reduce some of the budget gaps, but, also emphasizes why it is necessary to extend state aid so that states do not have to take measure that will create a drag on the economy and cost jobs.