By Jeremy Horpedahl It can be tough to figure out what’s really happening in Arkansas’s economy. If you follow the news, you hear reports about the latest economic data all the time: Employment is up this month! Wages are stagnant! Poverty declined last quarter! This focus on the most recent data can be confusing or […]
ACRE Expert Explains Arkansas Tax Reform Impacts
By Caleb Taylor Tax reform is moving right along in the Arkansas Legislature. ACRE Scholar and UCA Assistant Professor of Economics Jeremy Horpedahl has been busy helping Arkansans understand what the possible changes could mean for them. Tax Reform Talk on KARK 4’s Capitol View Jeremy Horpedahl discussed the latest news on Arkansas’s taxes with […]
Implementing Phase Three of Individual Income Tax Cuts in Arkansas
By Jeremy Horpedahl and Nicole Kaeding [Cross posted at the Tax Foundation Blog] January 31, 2019 Yesterday, Governor Hutchinson and legislative leaders in Arkansas announced their final plan for restructuring Arkansas’s individual income tax brackets. After more than 18 months of study, the Arkansas General Assembly will consider the plan starting next week. The plan would […]
Arkansas Legislators’ Tax Plan for 2019: Cut Income Tax to 5.9%
By Caleb Taylor Arkansas Legislative Tax Reform and Relief Task Force members voted Wednesday, December 12th to prioritize a plan that includes a cut to the top individual income tax rate from 6.9 to 5.9 percent. The Task Force approved a number of other changes at previous meetings (such as to the corporate income and […]
How fit is Arkansas’s fiscal health?
By. Caleb Taylor Where do Arkansas’s finances rank nationally? Olivia Gonzalez, a research associate for the State and Local Policy Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, spoke Thursday, November 29th about Arkansas’s fiscal health and ranking in the COB Auditorium. According to the Mercatus Center’s latest state fiscal rankings, Arkansas ranks 25th […]
Which Tax Credits Should Arkansas Chop?
By Caleb Taylor Arkansas Tax Reform and Relief Legislative Task Force members discussed three tax credits for possible elimination on Monday, October 29th. The three insurance premium tax credits include the New Market Tax Credit ($16 M), the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit ($1 M) and the Home Office Tax Credit ($61 M). In total, these […]
Will legalized sports betting affect state taxes?
By David Mitchell and Doug Walker Based on their recent performance, it’s tempting to bet against the Hogs. If voters approve Issue 4 in November, you will be able to place that bet in future seasons. And while the only poll conducted on Issue 4 last month showed it trailing by a few points, don’t […]
Why Do Arkansas’s Business Taxes Now Rank 46th out of the 50 States?
By Caleb Taylor Arkansas dropped three spots from 43rd to 46th from 2018 to 2019 in the Tax Foundation’s annual Small Business Tax Climate Index. The report was released on September 26th and is authored by the Tax Foundation’s Jared Walczak, Scott Drenkard and Joseph Bishop-Henchman. According to the authors, the index is “designed to […]
Legislators Move on Proposals from ACRE’s “Road Map to Tax Reform”
By Caleb Taylor Arkansas Tax Reform & Relief Legislative Task Force members voted August 22nd to approve a report that recommends reducing the top personal income tax rate to 6.5 percent, consolidate its three rate schedules, and more. The top personal income tax rate is currently 6.9 percent. The plan would cut taxes for individuals […]
Stepping Back from the “Tax Cliffs”: Tax Reform Plans Take Shape for Arkansas
By Caleb Taylor Legislators took a big step towards finalizing their tax reform priorities for the 2019 session. Arkansas Tax Reform & Relief Legislative Task Force members voted August 7th to pursue a comprehensive tax reform proposal that would reduce the top personal income tax rate to 6.5 percent and consolidate its three rate schedules. […]