Too often, we hear elected officials talk about increasing government spending while trying to convince you about all the good things they will do with your money.
However, this week, Iowans saw our state's leadership continue to push hard to elevate tax cuts above other issues and make family budgets a priority.
Governor Reynolds' Plan
Talking about her proposal, Governor Reynolds said, "There's never been a better time for bold, yet practical tax reform that meets the priorities of the state, allows Iowans to keep more of what they earn, and creates a highly competitive tax system. This historic tax cut will benefit every taxpayer, and turbocharge widespread, broad-based prosperity in our state, and most importantly, it rewards hard work."
House and Senate Republican Plans
Income tax reform legislation moved quickly through both House and Senate subcommittee meetings this week.
ITR's Victoria Sinclair spoke at both hearings. Speaking to House subcommittee members, she said, "We applaud the governor's leadership in rolling out a bold plan that significantly reduces income taxes for all Iowans, and we commend House leadership for including her individual income tax reduction proposal within this legislation HSB 626."
At the Senate subcommittee hearing, Sinclair said SSB 3074 "proposes the largest individual income tax cut in Iowa history, and it doesn't stop there. Not only does this bill offer a flat individual income tax rate of 3.6%; it also provides the first mechanism to our knowledge for eliminating the individual income tax in Iowa. This is an outstanding bill that cuts taxes for every Iowan, and we encourage its advancement."
How Do the Three Tax Reform Plans Compare?
All three plans let Iowans keep more money in their bank accounts and move our state in the right direction.
Iowa's individual income tax will be no higher than four percent in the near future.
Click on the image to see ITR's tax plan comparison. We encourage you to download and share this information!
Looking Forward
In a Des Moines Register article, Governor Reynolds said everything is on the table in tax cut talks. “I’ve made the commitment: We’re going to look at all three bills, and we’re going to sit down and see where we end up,” Reynolds told reporters during a news conference in Des Moines. “I just believe we’re going to end up in a good place.”
Now is the Time to Speak Up
Right now, local elected officials are deciding how much of your money they will spend next year.
Their spending is the only reason your property tax bill increases. As assessments increase, school boards, city councils, and county supervisors could choose to lower levy rates enough to lower your bill or keep it the same.
However, in too many school districts, cities, and counties, there is a gap between the amount of property taxes extracted from citizens and the community's growth. For example, one Iowa school district is collecting 90 percent more in property taxes than it did 10 years ago, while the number of students has remained the same.
What is going on? Why is this happening?
It happens for different reasons in each locality across the state, but the heart of the problem is a failure to talk with local elected officials.
Visit itrlocal.org to see how your community compares and send a message to the people who make your property tax bill.
ITR’s team at the Capitol is tracking the following bills of interest:
Senate Tax Reform SSB 3074 - Passed Senate Ways and Means Subcommittee February 2; Passed Senate Ways and Means Committee February 3
House Tax Reform HSB 626 - Passed House Ways and Means Subcommittee February 2
Governor's Tax Reform HSB 551 - Assigned to House Ways and Means Subcommittee SSB 3044 - Assigned to Senate Ways and Means Committee
Unemployment Insurance NEW: SSB 3093 Senate Commerce Subcommittee scheduled for February 8 NEW:HSB 631 Passed House Labor Subcommittee February 1
Supermajority Requirement to Raise Income and Sales Tax
Constitutional Amendment SSB 3064 - Assigned to Senate Ways and Means Subcommittee
Home-Based Business Protections HF 2005 - Local Government Subcommittee scheduled for February 9
Public Assistance Program Integrity
HSB 503 - Human Resources Subcommittee February 2 HSB 507 - Passed Human Resources Subcommittee January 26 HSB 508 - Passed Human Resources Subcommittee January 26 HSB 504 - Passed Human Resources Subcommittee January 13
TIF Reform HF 2082 - Passed House Education Committee January 20;
Passed House Ways and Means Subcommittee February 2
Eliminate Retirement Income from Income Tax HF 2026 - Assigned to House Ways and Means Committee
School Choice NEW: SSB 3080 - Passed Senate Education Subcommittee February 2 NEW: HF 2223 - Assigned to House Education Committee
