Don't Mess With Taxes

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Tuesday, Nov. 5, is election day. The hubby and I already voted, and if you’re like us, you can’t wait for all the politicking to be over.

The incessant calls, emails and snail mail material extends beyond the candidates. In several states, and at local levels, too, voters will decide ballot initiatives.

So, this weekend’s Saturday Shout Outs go to recent coverage of the referenda, with, of course, a focus on taxes.

The first shout goes to Ballotpedia, which reports that 159 statewide ballot measures were certified as of Oct. 24 to appear on ballots this year.

Most will be decided on Nov. 5, when voters in 41 states will decide on 146 statewide ballot measures. On Dec. 7, voters in Louisiana will decide on four constitutional amendments.

Earlier this year, voters in five states decided on nine ballot measures. Voters approved five and rejected four of these measures.

Taxes did not make Ballotpedia's Top 15 Ballot Measures and Trends to Watch, 2024. But if you search for “tax” on its it 2024 ballot measures page, the topic shows up 36 times, mostly in ballot questions about various property taxes and some sales taxes.

A property tax hike was on my ballot. It asks us Travis County voters to approve a $0.025 per $100 valuation hike to fund “access to affordable and high-quality child care and afterschool/summer programming and related services for low-income families and developing and administering related workforce and economic development programs.”

If you want to see what’s on your local ballot, tax and otherwise, you can use Ballotpedia’s online Sample Ballot Lookup Tool.

IL, WA statewide tax questions: On the state level, a ballot question tax geeks will be watching is Illinois’ Income Tax Advisory Question. It would “advise state officials on whether to amend the Illinois Constitution to create an additional 3% tax on income greater than $1 million for the purpose of dedicating funds to property tax relief.”

An advisory question ballot measure is non-binding, meaning the result will have no legal effect on a state's laws. This type of ballot measure is also known as an advisory vote, advisory referendum, or non-binding ballot measure.

But, notes Ballotpedia, there are various reasons for non-binding questions. They give government officials a way to gauge public opinion on certain policies or subjects or to encourage officials to take certain actions.

Heading westward, some state voters will have more of an impact. Washington's controversial capital gains tax is on the chopping block if Initiative 2109 passes.

The ballot referendum would repeal the Evergreen State’s 7% capital gains tax, which took effect in 2022, that is imposed on the sale by individuals of long-term capital assets exceeding $250,000. The tax has been the target of lawsuits even before enactment, and was on the ballot before, back in 2021 when voters said “no.” Unfortunately for them, back then it was an advisory question.

More tax ballot coverage: OK, I’ve kind of digressed from the purpose of Saturday Shout Out, which is to refer readers of the ol’ blog to other sources, rather than make you read me just rambling away on a weekend day. Sorry. Sorta not sorry.

I’ve regained my focus, and here are five more tax ballot initiative shouts.

• State Tax News & Views: Tax Referenda Time by Joe Kristan for Eide Bailly’s tax blog. 
  
  
• Four State Tax Ballot Measures to Watch in 2024 by Richard C. Auxier for the Tax Policy Center’s blog TaxVox. 
  
  
• 2024 State Tax Ballot Questions: Voters to Weigh in on Tax Changes Big and Small by Jon Whiten for Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy's JustTaxes blog.
  
  
• Ballot Breakdown: A Voter's Guide to Ballot Measures Across the Country by Brandon Arnold for the National Taxpayers Union.
  
  
• Power of the Purse: Where Voters Will Decide on Tax Issues this November from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

If you haven't yet voted, and there’s an initiative on your ballot, especially a tax-related one, take the time to understand the measure and decide how you’ll vote. It could make a difference in your finances and your state and local services.

You also might find these items of interest:

• State Tax Departments
• Tax-related relocations within the United States
• Alcohol taxes would fund $10 million Ohio music incubator

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