National Taxpayers Union

NTU shares management and offices with the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, a related charitable organization that was founded in 1977.

Background

Founded in 1969, the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) is a right-of-center organization that lobbies for tax reduction, balanced budgets, decreased economic regulation, free trade, and innovation that is favorable to its business and taxpayer members. ²

In 1977, the NTU formed the National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF), a sister organization designed to conduct research and educate Americans on the impact of taxes, government spending, and regulation on their lives. ³

The organization has claimed accomplishments including a securing a pay freeze for members of Congress, legislation to shut down unnecessary military bases, resolutions from 29 states calling for a balanced budget amendment, and cuts in federal income taxes. NTU claims credit for the creation of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights and for being a “driving force” for the Trump administration’s comprehensive tax reform. ^{4 5}

NTU uses lobbying to influence public officials, conducts outreach through its website, and provides media coverage on fiscal aspects of federal, state, and local agendas. NTU has also created issue-specific websites, such as No New Energy Taxes, to communicate policy positions. ^{6 7}

NTU’s agenda includes rolling back unnecessary regulations, limiting tax increases, encouraging investment in innovation, promoting free trade, supporting economic growth, and limiting government spending. ¹

Initiatives

National Taxpayers Union creates and publishes a fiscal responsibility rating for politicians that takes into consideration their votes on proposed legislation, their personal finances, and their stated positions on fiscal matters. ⁸

NTU also provides ballot guides containing the results of its research on proposed state ballot measures that would impact taxpayers, along with recommendations on how to vote. ⁹ Aside from ballot guides, NTU has provided post-election analysis of results on ballot measures that impact fiscal policy. ¹⁰

NTU analyzes the spending of each presidential candidate following each election and publishes the results. ¹¹

Related Organizations

NTU formed the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, a charitable organization, in 1977 as its research and communication arm. ¹²

Controversies

National Taxpayers Union has been criticized by SourceWatch, a left-of-center propaganda site operated by the left-wing media and opposition research group Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) for opposing increased taxes on tobacco and for accepting funding from Philip Morris in the past. ¹³

Leadership

National Taxpayers Union was founded by author, economist, and investor James Dale Davidson. ¹⁴

Pete Sepp is the president of both NTU and NTUF and worked with the St. Louis County Board of Elections and on an undisclosed Senate campaign. Sepp has testified before Congress several times and acted as a lobbyist on fiscal proposals. ¹⁵

Finances

NTU reported $3,155,726 in revenue in 2018 and $2,891,540 in expenses. Net assets at the end of the year were $2,331,154. ¹⁶

NTU reported operational expenses of $1,096,420, while other expenses totaled $1,709,495, including $954,497 spent on advertising and promotion. No lobbying expenses were reported. ¹⁷

NTU received grants totaling $224,222 from the Charles G Koch Foundation, a right-of-center private foundation, between 2016 and 2018, with $148,000 of that granted in 2018. ¹⁸