I write in
support of the 135th Ohio General
Assembly passing legislation that reduces the state income tax to a single flat
rate and reduces revenue on net, returning hard-earned taxpayer dollars to
families and small businesses.
The state took in
nearly $6 billion more than expected by the end of the last fiscal year. When the
government collects more money than needed, the most important priority should
be returning that money to the taxpayers who earned it.
I applaud the House
for prioritizing tax reform that achieves these principles with House Bill 1
and support the proposals to the budget that achieve these goals: Achieving a
low flat income tax rate while avoiding increasing the burden on any bracket;
using the surplus to achieve permanent income tax reduction; and disentangling
state and local government revenue.
Should these
amendments be added to the House budget, the plan would reduce Ohio’s state
income tax to a flat, 2.75% single rate.
This would make Ohio a top 10 state for income tax competitiveness, behind only the states that do not impose an income tax (under current
law).
Through the budget
process, I urge legislators to support these tax reforms and pass them by June
30th: A 2.75% flat income tax, that avoids increasing the burden on
any bracket; disentangling state and local revenue; and using the budget
surplus to achieve this permanent income tax reduction.
I applaud your focus
on nation-leading tax relief as a top priority this session. The legislature
during Gov. DeWine’s tenure has achieved great success in reducing Ohio’s tax,
and regulatory burdens. These efforts are earning the attention of the nation
and spurring neighboring states to continue their work to limit their tax
burdens.
I urge you to keep cutting and flattening Ohio’s income tax in the budget this session by enacting tax reform along the principles
outlined in this letter.