Tax Reform
Taxes are a tool used to promote the common good. They provide the funding for education, child care, Medicaid, mental health care and other public infrastructure that improves everyone’s quality of life. But Alabama’s outdated tax structure fails to raise enough revenue to support these services, which holds our state back from realizing its full potential.
Alabama’s upside-down tax system also taxes many struggling families deeper into poverty. Low-income families pay twice the share of their income in state and local taxes on average that top earners do. Making that problem worse, Alabama is one of only three states with no tax break on groceries.
Arise has been a leading proponent of tax reform in Alabama for decades, and our analysis and advocacy were crucial in the enactment of a state income tax cut for families in poverty in 2006. Our research continues to show the range of benefits that Alabama would reap by untaxing groceries, ending large tax breaks for rich households and big corporations, and taking other steps to rebalance and modernize its tax system.
Featured Resources
Personal Stories
‘Resilient communities begin with healthy people, period’
Warren Alan Tidwell has spent years doing work that depends on trust. He does the slow, often unseen work of bringing people together across differences after an emergency.
Fact Sheet
2026 Alabama election guide and candidate questions
Handbook
The Alabama Tax and Budget Handbook
Handbook
The Alabama Tax and Budget Handbook – Introduction
Handbook
The Alabama Tax and Budget Handbook – Budget Overview
Handbook
The Alabama Tax and Budget Handbook – Tax Overview
Handbook
The Alabama Tax and Budget Handbook – Income Tax
Handbook
The Alabama Tax and Budget Handbook – Sales Taxes
Handbook
The Alabama Tax and Budget Handbook – Property Taxes
Handbook
The Alabama Tax and Budget Handbook – Business Taxes
