January 13, 2026

Session Preview: Fiscal Independence Act

Iowa’s growing reliance on federal funding exposes the state to fiscal risk, policy mandates, and uncertainty driven by Washington, D.C. The Iowa Fiscal Independence Act would improve transparency, disclosure, and legislative oversight of federal funds to help lawmakers and taxpayers understand and manage those risks. By taking proactive steps toward fiscal independence, Iowa can strengthen state sovereignty, protect taxpayers, and reduce vulnerability to federal budget disruptions. Iowa’s finances are increasingly shaped by decisions made in Washington, not Des Moines. As federal funding grows more uncertain, the cost (and risk) of that dependence becomes harder for taxpayers to ignore.

ITR Foundation Taxes, Spending, & Budget
January 13, 2026

Session Preview: Constitutional Amendments

Iowa lawmakers have an opportunity to strengthen long-term taxpayer protections by advancing constitutional amendments that require a two-thirds legislative vote to raise income taxes and permanently protect the state’s flat tax. Supermajority requirements and flat-tax protections are widely supported by voters, common in other states, and serve as effective checks on unchecked spending and future tax increases. Enshrining these safeguards in the Iowa Constitution would preserve recent tax reforms, promote economic growth, and provide taxpayers with lasting confidence that Iowa’s tax system will remain fair, simple, and competitive.

ITR Foundation Taxes, Spending, & Budget
January 10, 2026

Session Preview: Conservative Budgeting

Conservative budgeting is the foundation of fiscal conservatism and the key to sustaining Iowa’s tax reforms. Spending growth has accelerated in recent budgets, even as economic uncertainty and revenue pressures increase. As lawmakers craft the FY 2027 budget, spending discipline will be essential to protecting Iowa’s fiscal stability and future tax relief. As economist Art Laffer has observed, “government spending is taxation, pure and simple.” For that reason, the starting point for any sound tax policy discussion must be spending restraint. The state budget is the foundational product of each legislative session, shaping other policy debates and determining whether past tax reforms can be sustained.

ITR Foundation Taxes, Spending, & Budget
January 9, 2026

Session Preview: Property Taxes

Property tax reform is shaping up to be the defining issue of Iowa’s upcoming legislative session, with bipartisan attention and growing public pressure. Rising property taxes are driven by unchecked local government spending, not by isolated flaws in the tax system. A firm 2% cap on property tax growth is essential to delivering real, lasting relief, and must be central to any serious reform effort. As Iowa lawmakers return to the Capitol, one issue has emerged as the defining policy debate of the upcoming legislative session: property taxes. 

ITR Foundation Taxes, Spending, & Budget
November 7, 2025

KCCI: Property tax reform looms after split Iowa school bond results

“Property taxes are an issue. And I think voters are being more picky,” said Sarah Curry with Iowans for Tax Relief, a group that advocates for lower taxes.

Curry says that while some metro voters were willing to accept higher taxes to fund new schools, many Iowans elsewhere were not.

“When we look statewide, there were actually 25 bonds that passed and 33 failed. Knoxville, Panorama, I-35 — all of those measures failed,” Curry said.

ITR Foundation Media
July 15, 2024

Iowans Seek Protection From Property Taxes and Income Taxes; Grapple with Inflation

The most recent Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation Poll, conducted by Cygnal, shows a majority of Iowans want protections from property taxes and income taxes, while also demonstrating that Donald Trump has widened his lead over Joe Biden as November’s election nears. Almost 70 percent (69.6%) of those surveyed want the State Legislature to limit the growth of property taxes […]

ITR Foundation Taxes, Spending, & Budget
April 12, 2024

Push for Judicial Independence Gains Momentum in Indiana

The Iowa Legislature could reinforce the integrity of our legal system and uphold the tradition of impartial decision-making, essential for maintaining public trust. Iowa lawmakers are considering ways to reduce agency deference as this year’s legislative session gets closer to the finish line.  That’s why we were excited to read about our Midwestern neighbors in Indiana making progress to ensure […]

ITR Foundation Law & Policy
February 16, 2024

Iowans Seek Protection From Taxes and Foreign Influence; Prefer Trump Over Biden

The most recent Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation Poll, conducted by Cygnal, shows a majority of Iowans believe our country is headed in the wrong direction. More than two-thirds (68.2%) of those surveyed believe the United States is off on the wrong track, including an overwhelming majority of Republicans (92%) and Independents (72%).  President Joe Biden was similarly unpopular, with […]

ITR Foundation ITR Foundation Poll
February 14, 2024

Beyond the Ballot:  The Flawed Reality of Ranked Choice Voting

We should not be abandoning a straight-forward system that everyone understands in exchange for a new, convoluted one filled with complications. The adoption of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in various jurisdictions across the country has been touted as an improvement to the traditional voting system.  Some RCV supporters even believe it will protect the United States from the demise of […]

ITR Foundation Governance
February 2, 2024

Your Dollars, Not Their Rates

It’s the dollars those governments are pulling from you each year that matter. When it comes to property taxes, don’t get fooled by smoke and mirrors.  A citizen should focus on how many dollars local governments are taking from them.  That’s it.  Don’t take the bait that some officials will dangle in front of you in the form of property […]

ITR Foundation Taxes, Spending, & Budget
February 1, 2024

Iowa Considering New Ways to Unshackle Innovation

By offering businesses the freedom to explore and expand their innovative ideas in a relatively unrestricted environment, Iowa is setting the stage for becoming a beacon for start-up firms and a hub for economic progress. Iowa lawmakers are now considering a fresh approach to bolster entrepreneurship and innovation through the concept of a regulatory sandbox. This initiative is designed to […]

ITR Foundation Governance
January 6, 2024

Session Preview: Property Taxes

Iowa still ranks in the “Bottom 10” nationally when comparing property taxes. The Tax Foundation recently released its annual 2024 State Business Tax Climate Index, which measures the tax competitiveness across the country. Iowa’s standing on the index has been improving every year, and thanks to continuing tax reforms, the 2024 results continued the trend. Last year, Iowa ranked 38th […]

ITR Foundation Taxes, Spending, & Budget
January 4, 2024

Session Preview: Constitutional Amendments

Diverting Taxpayer Relief Fund dollars to property tax relief would simply be another instance of the state subsidizing local government spending growth. During the 2023 legislative session, the Iowa Legislature began to consider two important constitutional amendments that would provide protection for Iowa taxpayers. If lawmakers are interested in continuing to stand up for the taxpayer, they should again contemplate […]

ITR Foundation Taxes, Spending, & Budget
January 3, 2024

Session Preview: A Conservative Budget

Iowa’s status as a national leader on tax policy would not be possible but for the less-heralded fact that Iowa is a national leader when it comes to conservative budgeting, as well. Sound budgeting is at the heart of all good public policy. Pro-growth tax reform cannot occur without prudent budgeting and spending restraint. Thanks to the wise priorities of both Governor Reynolds and the legislature, Iowa’s fiscal foundation is strong.

ITR Foundation Taxes, Spending, & Budget
January 2, 2024

Session Preview: Income Taxes

Policymakers could seize the opportunity to place Iowa’s income tax on a path toward elimination. Iowa is in a strong position to enact even further income tax reforms in 2024, and it must. As more states cut income tax rates, Iowa cannot become complacent. The competition among the states for businesses, jobs, and people is fierce. This is especially true […]

ITR Foundation Taxes, Spending, & Budget
January 1, 2024

2024 Legislative Session Preview

Personal income taxes will not be the only focus in the upcoming legislative session. Iowa’s fiscal conservatism will also touch on corporate taxes and property taxes. Iowa is currently in a robust financial position, a testament to a series of strategic policies and legislative changes that have shaped its economic landscape. As the 2024 legislative session approaches, the state’s financial […]

ITR Foundation Taxes, Spending, & Budget
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Let’s be honest, big government is big bureaucracy, and common sense tells us big bureaucracy is ineffective. That’s why ITR Foundation works to:

  • Research principled solutions
  • Educate Iowans about our solutions
  • Activate Iowans in support of our solutions

By applying the principles of limited government, free enterprise, and the rule of law to public policy, we can ensure all Iowans will have the opportunity to succeed.

ITR Foundation set the policy groundwork for many recent taxpayer victories in Iowa:

  • Increased property tax transparency and spending restraint
  • A 3.8% flat individual income tax rate
  • Elimination of income taxes on retirement income
  • Elimination of inheritance tax
  • Creating a path to reduce corporate income tax to 5.5%
  • Phasing-out special tax incentives in the corporate tax code
  • Banning local universal basic income programs