Tax Reform Is on the Move
Pro-growth tax reform is on the move in several states. This year 14 states have enacted tax reforms, which would have been unheard of just a year ago. The good news about tax reform doesn’t end with 2021, though. It appears that many states, including Iowa, are poised to keep reducing the tax burden on their citizens. Voters in Louisiana […]
The 2023 Conservative Iowa Budget
The Conservative Iowa Budget helps limit government spending so that there are more opportunities for tax relief and for widespread prosperity for Iowans now and for generations to come.
Is Eliminating Iowa’s Income Tax the Answer?
States without an income tax are garnering a lot of attention for their economic growth and ability to attract people who are making an exodus from high tax states. Tax climates are important because they determine the overall economic health of the state. For every dollar that is taken by government in taxes is one less dollar individuals or businesses […]
2020 Candidate Education Guide
Recently TEF Iowa polled Iowans to get their view on some key public policy issues. In this guide you will find not only how Iowans think about these issues, but also public policy solutions that align with the interest of Iowans. TEF Iowa has developed this guide as a resource to provide legislative candidates additional information on some of the […]
Taxpayer Protection Starts with Limiting Spending
Governor Kim Reynolds and the legislature have been working to control spending in Iowa. Prior to the COVID-19 emergency, Iowa was in a strong economic position with healthy and stable revenue growth. This included $800 million in reserves and a $400 million surplus. By March, all of this changed as the pandemic triggered an economic downturn and revenue uncertainty. In […]
State Tax Reform’s Gold Standard
North Carolina is one of the state’s best prepared to deal with the budget challenges from the new coronavirus outbreak. It also represents the gold standard for state tax reform, and the connection between these two should not be lost. The Tar Heel state has successfully reduced tax rates, while controlling the growth of spending and funding the priorities of […]
Empowering Property Taxpayers
Reducing the property burden is a priority for most Iowans. Cities and counties across Iowa are in the process of planning their budgets and holding public hearings. Government spending is at the heart of high property tax rates, and these budget hearings will not just establish what the city or county intends to spend, but also determine your future property […]
Tax Relief and Economic Growth
Iowa begrudgingly endures some of the nation’s highest personal and corporate income taxes. Those high taxes hamper economic growth and make our state less affordable for families and less competitive for businesses. Even after recent improvements, tax reform remains a high priority for the Hawkeye State. So we applaud Governor Reynolds for proposing the Invest in Iowa Act and […]
Sales Tax Fairness
The sales tax is getting a lot of attention as a result of Governor Kim Reynolds Invest in Iowa Act. One phase of this Act calls for a one cent sales tax increase. Three-eighths of it would be for the purpose of funding the voter approved Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. In addition, the remaining five-eighths of the […]
Navigating Tax Reform
Reforming a state tax code in order to provide relief, economic growth, and create a more competitive economic climate is difficult. A major reason for this difficulty is tax rate reduction is in direct conflict with numerous policy interests that demand new or additional spending. Rather than reducing rates and reforming the tax code, it is often easier to approach […]
Iowa’s Golden Tax Reform Opportunity
As a result of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and elimination of numerous job killing regulations, the national economy is growing and states have benefited tremendously from this growth. In 2018 the legislature passed the first major comprehensive tax reform legislation in a decade. Governor Kim Reynolds, in her Condition of the State Address, called for further tax […]
A Better Path Forward For Iowa Tax Reform
Iowans Deserve a Better Tax System Now Last year, Iowa’s robust tax reform took a giant step toward reducing burdensome taxes on families and businesses. Unfortunately, many Iowans may never see the benefits of that overhaul because the new law hamstrings its best features, tying them to future revenue benchmarks or “tax triggers” that Iowa may never reach. Those arbitrary […]