Fair Taxation

The AFT believes that in order to have a strong democracy that protects the common good, we must fight for the resources each community needs. Every year, states fail to collect billions in revenues because of tax evasion and inefficient tax systems. Furthermore, in 2022 and 2023, the 50 states and the District of Columbia passed tax and revenue cuts with a value of more than $37 billion. Multiple additional tax and revenue cuts were made that will phase in in the coming years, totaling an additional $1.4 billion. These failures to collect owed revenues and most of these revenue reductions represent a turn away from fiscal responsibility, a move that will leave states ill-equipped to fully fund public services and deal with future economic downturns.

The AFT is committed to supporting our affiliates as they advocate against reckless revenue cuts, lobby to prevent offshoring of tax revenues, and work to eliminate tax haven states and countries where corporations shelter income from taxation. If our government does not have the revenue needed to fully fund and fully staff our public sector, we risk the public losing faith in our government itself.