Officials demonstrate fiscal restraint even as they continue to up the state’s investment into education and healthcare. The passage of the appropriations bills that make up the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget marked the final major legislative action of the session. Since spending is the primary driver of public policy, a priority for Governor Kim Reynolds and legislative leaders has […]
“The headline of this session is simple: Iowa’s income tax rate will be the 6th lowest in the country…” The Iowa legislature has adjourned, and this session has resulted in some important pro-growth policy victories that provide further tax relief to Iowans, while also making Iowa’s economy more competitive and government more efficient. As Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver said, “The […]
The last several elections demonstrate that Iowans support the tax relief efforts of Governor Reynolds and those legislators who have voted to cut taxes. Iowa’s legislature continued the tax cut momentum late last week, by passing the fourth round of income tax reforms in recent years. This new legislation will push Iowa’s personal income tax down to a single, flat […]
In March 2024, some local elections saw voter turnout as low as 1.9% but decided matters voters won’t be able to revisit for decades. Many special elections decide financial questions that directly affect property taxes and determine communities’ policies for decades to come, yet voter turnout is typically a fraction of November general elections. A recent special election held in […]
Of the 15 property tax increase proposals on ballots, 10 passed and 5 failed, resulting in over $100 million in new spending over the next decade. On March 5, 2024, voters around Iowa considered 15 property tax increases totaling $137.4 million in potential new spending over the next decade. The low level of participation showed that Iowans don’t have the […]
This article was published in the Des Moines Register, Telegraph Herald and The Gazette. Property taxes have been on autopilot for too long. Injecting more transparency into local government budgeting will benefit taxpayers. Property taxes are a top concern for many Iowans. The growing frustration over high property taxes surpasses political party identification and the urban-rural divide. As part of […]
Iowans Deserve Predictable Taxes Wherever They ROAM Iowa shares its border with six other states, and while many Iowans live and work in the Hawkeye state, there are a number of Iowans who work elsewhere. This results in not all Iowans being taxed the same. Depending on where they live and work, the state tax liability for Iowans can vary […]
This article was published in National Review. Iowa policymakers have an opportunity to allow taxpayers to keep more of their hard-earned income, make the state more competitive, and provide protection that will benefit taxpayers for generations. In 2022, Iowa confirmed its position as a leader in the state flat-tax revolution by phasing out the nine-bracket progressive income tax and replacing it with […]
More than a dozen school districts and one county are seeking property tax hikes on top of assessments that are already elevated. The March 5, 2024, special election in 13 school districts and one county will put property tax increase questions before voters. The school districts are looking for increases in their physical plant and equipment levies (PPELs), which generate […]
This article was published in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The House and Senate plan creates a mechanism to eventually eliminate the income tax. In 2022, the CATO Institute’s Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors ranked Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds the most fiscally conservative governor in the nation. Since 2018, Governor Reynolds and the legislature have placed a priority on […]
Voters should pay close attention to why a district wants a Revenue Purpose Statement (RPS) and what it intends to do with the proceeds. Details A Revenue Purpose Statement (RPS) is a ballot measure describing how a school district will spend sales tax funds the State of Iowa has dedicated to public schools through a program called Secure an Advanced Vision for Education […]
This article was published in the Telegraph Herald. Tax policy is best when it not only lowers rates but also provides long-term certainty for the economy. With nearly unanimous Republican support, Congress passed, and President Trump signed the historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in 2017, which helped create economic expansion over the past six years. Taxpayers and businesses […]
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 […]
The Iowa legislature is poised to deliver the benefits of conservative budgeting and pro-growth policies to taxpayers in our state. Heading into the legislative session Governor Kim Reynolds and legislative leaders stated that not only would further income tax reform be a priority, but an opportunity existed to accelerate planned income tax rate reductions. Under current law the income tax rate […]
Iowa’s legislature needs to know what is really going on, so they aren’t misled by the media touting “HUGE” property tax savings across the river. We can’t stress enough the dangers in using a state’s budget to pay for local expenses. Both Iowans and Nebraskans have struggled under the weight of high property taxes for many years. Despite the positive strides […]
Counties are cashing in on hefty property taxes from high assessments, and reducing rates won’t halt financial gains. You might hear your county officials complaining they are facing dire straits this year because of the new property tax law. The truth is that too many counties have been cashing in on hefty property taxes from rapidly increasing assessments, and redirecting […]
The amount of property tax you pay could go down if local governments choose to keep the levy rate the same or lower it. Many people got their new property tax assessments or valuations in the mail last fall. While the value of their home might have increased 20% or more, that does not mean your property taxes are going […]
Iowa’s income tax would drop to 3.5 percent next year under the governor’s proposal. In her Condition of the State address, Governor Kim Reynolds outlined a pro-growth policy agenda, including a new round of income tax cuts. Gov. Reynolds stated, “ the condition of our state is truly strong.” The reason for this is the fiscally conservative policies Iowa’s elected officials have been […]
Additional income tax cuts will generate hundreds of millions of dollars per year in economic growth for Iowa. After three significant rounds of tax cuts since 2018, Iowa firmly established itself as the national leader in state-based tax reform. Now, the state government has a real possibility of eliminating the income tax, making Iowa the first state to do so. […]
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 […]
This article was published in the Des Moines Register.
Once again, one of Gov. Kim Reynolds top priorities for the 2024 legislative session is income tax reform. A champion of fiscal responsibility, the governor knows restraining spending and returning tax dollars to the hard-working Iowans who paid them is the best path to economic growth. Once one the of the highest-income-tax states in the nation, Iowa in 2022 passed the most comprehensive tax reform in the United States.
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 […]
This potential “solution” to economic inequality and poverty is nothing more than a wealth re-distribution tactic that places hard-working taxpayers in the crosshairs. The concept of “Guaranteed Income” or “Universal Basic Income” was introduced to many Iowans by Andrew Yang’s 2020 presidential campaign. Put forth as a potential solution to economic inequality and poverty, its proponents argue that providing a […]
This article was published in Real Clear Policy and Nation Review. When people vote with their feet, they prefer lower taxes and the slim, trim state government Governor Reynolds offers in Iowa. “A tax-cutting wave is sweeping over America’s states,” The Economist claims in a recent feature, and Iowa, it argues, has “emerged as America’s tax-cutting champion, a paragon […]
This past election was important for Iowa taxpayers. In addition to candidates for local government offices, Iowans voted on numerous bond proposals covering a variety of county, city, and school district projects. If all of the bond questions had passed, it would have meant $1.72 billion in new spending. During the election, only 22 of the questions achieved the required 60 percent majority for approval, representing an estimated $951.9 million. These results suggest taxpayers are paying more attention to bond questions owing to Iowans’ mounting frustration with high property taxes and recent legislation designed to increase participation.