Issue #7: Taxes
Taxes rank seventh on the list of issues. A variety of follow up questions were asked to determine what aspects of taxation most concerned registered voters in Utah. The following chart shows that poll respondents were most concerned with the way their tax funds are spent and how the tax burden is distributed among Utahns.
The poll also asked which taxes were of greatest concern. Income and property taxes ranked highest, and the gas tax was a greater concern to voters than sales taxes.
Research on Taxes and Government Spending by Utah Foundation
Utah Foundation has done a great deal of research on taxes and government spending. We include spending research here since the greatest concern expressed in the poll was about the way tax money is spent. This research covers topics such as tax burden comparisons to other states, a study on how tax monies are redistrubuted around the state, how state spending has grown, and how state debt levels have changed over the past decade. Because Governor Walker has commissioned a group to study Utah's tax policies and recommend changes, Utah Foundation is scheduled to produce a major Research Report on Utah taxes to help the public and interested parties understand our current tax situation. We also will produce a smaller Research Brief as part of the Utah Priorities project. To ensure you receive these reports, please sign up for our email list at left.
Please click the links below to read or print reports from the Utah Foundation website.
Taxes:
May 2004: Utah's Tax Situation (Executive Summary)
May 2003: Redistributing Utah's Tax Resources: Burdens and Benefits Around the State
Sep 2002: Utah at the Crossroads: Challenges for K-12 Education in the Coming Ten Years (includes a discussion of tax burden and spending for education)
Feb 2002: Economic Recessions, Taxes, and Utah: Lessons Learned From the Past
Jul 2001: Property Taxes in Utah and the 50 States
Jun 2001: How do Utah's Taxes and Fees Compare to Other States?
May 2001: Fiscal Summary of the 2001 Legislative Session
Spending:
Dec 2003: State Government Debt in Utah: Rapid Growth in Recent Years
Oct 2003: Utah State Government Growth: 1991 to 2002
May 2003: Redistributing Utah's Tax Resources: Burdens and Benefits Around the State (also listed above)
Feb 2001: Federal Expenditures in Utah: FY 1990 to 1999
Jun 2000: Utah Public School Finances: FY 1998-99
Mar 2000: Utah Public Education Financing and the State School Trust Fund
Also see other reports related to government spending under Public Education and Higher Education,
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