May 13, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Courtney Gustafson
Grassroots Support Grows for Eliminating the Wisconsin Income Tax
Republican Party of Wisconsin delegates will vote on resolution calling for the elimination of the income tax at 2024 convention
Delafield, WI – The Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) has been building support throughout Wisconsin over the last two and a half years for eliminating the state’s income tax.
What’s Happening: This weekend, delegates to the Republican Party of Wisconsin (RPW) 2024 state convention are poised to pass a resolution calling on lawmakers to support efforts to eliminate the income tax in Wisconsin. The convention is scheduled to take place May 17-19 in Appleton. The resolution under consideration was approved unanimously by two congressional district caucuses (6th and 8th).
Why it Matters: Wisconsin families and small businesses are being crushed by our state’s high income taxes and overall tax burden. With the 9th highest income tax rate in the nation, the Badger State is simply not competitive in the battle for workers and families looking to relocate to low-tax states. It’s not competitive for current Wisconsinites who want to hold onto more of their hard-earned money. And it’s not competitive for small businesses – a majority of whom file taxes at individual rates.
Nine states do not tax personal income, creating an environment that attracts workers, families, and retirees while also enticing current residents to stay home. Close to home, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is working to flatten and eventually eliminate Iowa’s income tax. Past IRG analysis found that Wisconsin residents are fleeing for low- and no-income tax states.
By passing a resolution, grassroots are showing their strong support for lawmakers to eliminate the state income tax in 2025.
The Quote:
“Wisconsin’s high income tax hurts workers and families. And it hurts small businesses, many of whom pay taxes through the income tax,” said CJ Szafir, IRG CEO. “It’s exciting to see grassroots support for eliminating the income tax grow. If lawmakers and Governor Evers are serious about wanting to strengthen our economy and help workers, there is no better policy they could tackle in January 2025 than eliminating the state’s income tax.”
Who Supports It?
The idea of eliminating the income tax has been supported publicly by numerous officials including former Gov. Scott Walker, legislators like Senate President Chris Kapenga, State Senator Rob Hutton, former State Senator Roger Roth, and State Rep. Adam Neylon, candidates for statewide office including Gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Kleefisch, and other public officials. Eliminating the income tax was called a “genuine game changer” by WISN radio host Jay Weber when introduced by IRG in 2021. See what they have said in support here.
The plan to eliminate the income taxes that was introduced in December, 2021 was supported by IRG, WMC, AFP-WI, and ATR, along with Governor Scott Walker, Trump economic advisor Steve Moore, ALEC Chief Economist Jonathan Williams, Leah Vukmir and the National Taxpayers Union, and many small business owners. See what they all said here.
How Can You Help?
Sign up to learn more and help at https://reforminggovernment.org/wisconsin-should-eliminate-the-state-income-tax/.
Tax Facts:
- Wisconsin’s top income tax rate (7.65%) is the 9th highest rate in the country, 2nd highest in the Midwest. IRG Policy Solution Series
- This is a small business tax. 9 out of 10 employers, employing over half of all workers, pay taxes through individual income tax.
- Polling suggests that voters are ready for transformational income tax reform. In a poll conducted in 2022, 59% said state taxes are too high, and a plurality supported eliminating the income tax. That included a majority of Republicans, a plurality of Independents, and even 40% of Democrats.
- 60% of people who leave Wisconsin move to states with low and no income taxes, moving $2.6 billion of income to those states. IRG Lost Revenue report.
- In December 2021, IRG, working with the Center for Research on Wisconsin’s Economy (CROWE), Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC), Americans for Prosperity – Wisconsin (AFP-WI) and Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), released a plan to completely eliminate the state’s personal income tax, offsetting part of the revenue with a slight bump in the sales tax.
- According to economists at CROWE, the 2021 plan would have cut taxes by $3.5 billion overall, $1,700 per household. They also found that eliminating the income tax at that time would have increased take home pay by 9.4% while helping employers hire 175,000 new workers.
- States currently without a personal income tax include Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.
- Several states around the country are working to eliminate their income tax, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, Iowa, and Colorado.
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The Institute for Reforming Government is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that seeks to simplify government at every level by offering policy solutions to thought leaders in American government in the areas of tax reform, government inefficiency, and burdensome regulations.
To learn more about the Institute for Reforming Government, click here.