Six States Lead the Way in Easing Tax Burdens

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alexis Jarrett
Email: ajarrett@alec.org

Six States Lead the Way in Easing Tax Burdens

ARLINGTON, VA – (MAY 19, 2020) Today, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) released State Tax Cut Roundup: 2019, the newest publication illustrating which states lowered taxes during their 2019 legislative sessions. The report was produced by ALEC’s Center for State Fiscal Reform, which provides policymakers with original research and expert testimony in the areas of tax, budget and pension reform.

Six states – Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia – are highlighted in this year’s State Tax Cut Roundup because they met the following criteria:

• The state substantially cut taxes
• The vote occurred during the 2019 legislative sessions
• The reform resulted in a net decrease in taxes
• The reform moved the state closer to the ALEC Principles of Taxation

Florida is the only state to qualify for all seven editions of State Tax Cut Roundup. Arizona and North Carolina have also demonstrated a consistent commitment to cutting taxes, qualifying for five and six editions of State Tax Cut Roundup, respectively.   Last year, 16 states qualified for the 2018 edition of State Tax Cut Roundup as federal tax conformity gave states the opportunity to lower tax rates, pass net tax cuts and make their tax codes more competitive.

To read this year’s report, click here.

“The states highlighted in this publication all cut personal income tax or business tax burdens – and as a result, made their economies more competitive to rebound after the COVID-19 downturn,” said coauthor Jonathan Williams, ALEC Chief Economist and Executive Vice President of Policy. “States looking to improve economic competitiveness, especially in light of the pandemic, can learn some important lessons from the states highlighted in our new report. Instead of growing wasteful government spending, these states prioritized hardworking taxpayers and will be better off for it.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the need for a principled fiscal system in each state,” said coauthor and ALEC Legislative Manager for the Center for State Fiscal Reform Skip Estes. “Priority-based budgets and efficient state spending keeps more money in the pockets of taxpayers, helping families and businesses weather the crisis.”

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The American Legislative Exchange Council is the largest nonpartisan, voluntary membership organization of state legislators in the United States. The Council is governed by state legislators who comprise the Board of Directors and is advised by the Private Enterprise Advisory Council, a group of private, foundation and think tank members. For more information about the American Legislative Exchange Council, please visit: www.alec.org.