In 2022, Iowa led what has been called a state-level “flat-tax revolution.” The last few years have been historic for state-based tax reform, with the Tax Foundation reporting that 43 states passed some form of tax reform in 2021 or 2022 and in 2023 nearly a dozen states continued the trend. Now, Iowa has the opportunity to build on its previous good work in this area by being the first state in the nation to eliminate its income tax.
One of the foundational arguments for creating a Local Option Sales Tax was to offset the property tax burden. However, the property tax reduction has not come to fruition for many Iowa communities, leaving citizens with a higher sales tax burden and an increasing property tax burden, too. After the property tax, local sales taxes are the most-important source of […]
This article was published in the Washington Examiner. Too often the voice of the taxpayer is drowned out by louder special interest lobbyists. Protecting the Taxpayer Relief Fund in the Constitution would ensure that the interests of taxpayers — and their money — are secure. As a taxpayer, did you know that the state of Iowa is currently holding close […]
Over 18,500 students in 96 counties have been approved and are taking advantage of Iowa’s “Student First” ESA program. Iowa’s lawmakers enacted the Students First Act in late-January 2023, creating universal education savings accounts (ESAs) for Iowa students. Funded with the state’s share of per pupil spending, which is currently $7,635, the ESAs will soon be available to every student […]
This article was published in the Des Moines Register, Cedar Rapids Gazette, Iowa City Press-Citizen and the West Branch Times. Herbert Hoover is a forgotten conservative statesman, whose philosophy and ideas can still serve as a guide for the nation today. President Herbert Hoover led a remarkable life that was based upon public service, humanitarianism, and a belief that America […]
We have entered a new fiscal year with lots of uncertainty about the national economy and Iowa is poised to weather whatever events may happen. The first month of Iowa’s new fiscal year is now behind us. While a single month is just one small slice of the pie, it sets the stage for the next round of income tax […]
Sales tax holidays create complexities for tax code compliance, do not promote economic growth or increase consumer purchases, and distract policy makers from truly beneficial tax reforms. School starts for most Iowa students on August 23rd, which means families have already received their back-to-school shopping lists. What better way to get ready for school than to shop during Iowa’s Sales […]
Often, a state accepting federal dollars does so with strings attached. Unfortunately, old habits die hard. Even when federal law changes and the strings are severed, programs created by those laws have a pesky habit of sticking around and are rarely repealed by state lawmakers. Frequently, this comes at a greater cost to consumers, taxpayers, or both.