Amy Hanauer
Executive DirectorAreas of Expertise
Federal Taxes State Taxes Budget Policy Taxes and Climate Justice Workers and WagesAmy Hanauer, ITEP’s Executive Director, provides vision and leadership to bring accurate research and data to tax policy conversations. ITEP’s research shows that more progressive and adequate tax codes will do more to bring about racial, economic and climate justice. When wealthy people and corporations pay their fair share, the country raises more revenue for the essential things we need and does so in a way that is more conducive to equity and growth.
Amy joined ITEP in 2020, bringing nearly 30 years of experience creating economic policy that advances social justice. Amy is also the Executive Director of Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ), ITEP’s 501(c)(4) partner organization. As Director, Amy raises resources, guides strategy, and works with the board and staff to make ITEP and CTJ a critical part of the policy conversation around a stronger tax code.
Prior to joining ITEP, Amy founded and developed Policy Matters Ohio from a one-person start-up in 2000 to a 14-person operation with offices in Cleveland and Columbus. Under her guidance, the organization provided research that helped boost Ohio’s minimum wage, establish a state Earned Income Tax Credit, restore collective bargaining rights for public sector workers and expose how tax cuts for the wealthy have not improved Ohio’s job climate.
Earlier in her career, Amy opened a Milwaukee office for the think tank COWS, helping place women in unionized manufacturing jobs, and worked for Wisconsin State Senator (now U.S. Rep) Gwendolynne Moore, defending the safety net for Wisconsin families.
Amy is the board chair of The American Prospect magazine, served as Vice President of the board at the think tank Demos from 2010-2018, and has held board or committee leadership roles at the Economic Analysis Research Network and the State Priorities Partnerships, both networks of state think tanks. A graduate of Rockwood Leadership Institute, Amy is the author of several publications on worker justice, green jobs and racial and economic equity. She received her Master of Public Affairs from the Lafollette Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Cornell University.
You can follow Amy on Twitter at @amyhanauer.
amy at itep.orgRecent Publications and Posts view more
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TurboTax Maker Puts a Pink Spin on Exploitative Financial Products
This op-ed originally appeared in MSNBC Tax preparation behemoth Intuit (maker of TurboTax) recently unveiled a new campaign branding itself as…
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The Estate Tax Should Help to Level the Playing Field. Instead it’s Letting the Rich Get Richer.
The federal estate tax should ensure that family dynasties who’ve amassed enormous fortunes pay their fair share in taxes. But because policymakers have repeatedly doubled and tripled the immense sums that can be passed on before the tax kicks in, the estate tax today affects almost no one.
Media Mentions view more
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The Nation: Biden Should Channel His Inner FDR and Soak the Rich
There’s no risk and everything to gain politically. According to a Navigator Research poll from last month, 79 percent of registered voters favor higher taxes on billionaires and corporations. Only 16 percent are opposed. Democrats favor wealth taxes on billionaires by a 94-2 margin, independents by a 78-15 margin, Republicans by a 63-30 margin.
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Video: ITEP's Amy Hanauer Talks Poverty and the Child Tax Credit on the Rick Smith Show
This week the Census Bureau released new numbers showing that in 2022 the U.S. lost the dramatic gains made against child poverty in 2021, in large part due to the lapsed Child Tax Credit expansion.