Business Property Taxes Not as High as We’re Led to Believe

A recent publication from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce contains a list of claims regarding the level of business property taxes in Minnesota relative to other states: 49th “worst” (i.e., second highest) among the fifty states for rural commercial property taxes,...

Who Pays the “Fair Tax”?

The term “fair tax” refers to proposals to repeal individual and corporate income taxes and several other taxes and replace them with a broad-based sales tax. How will this tax impact taxpayers of differing incomes? As it turns out, the answer depends on how the fair...

State Business Property Tax by Legislative District

The 2015 House Tax Bill proposed to phase-out the state business property tax, ultimately eliminating the tax by 2022. A recent North Star article revealed that approximately two-thirds of the property tax relief resulting from the elimination of the state business...

Senate Targets Divide Surplus Between Tax Cuts & Spending

At a Wednesday press conference, Senate DFL leadership unveiled their budget targets for the 2016 legislative session, which “includes $300 million for an updated version of last session’s tax bill and $489 million in other spending, much of it one-time.” The proposed...

City LGA: A Shrinking Slice of the Budget Pie

Local Government Aid (LGA) has been a mainstay of city finances since its inception in 1972. In fact, many small, low tax base communities receive more in LGA than they collect in property taxes. That being the case, LGA is a perennial hot topic at the state capitol....

House to Pare Back Tax Cut Wish List?

House leadership recently released budget targets that focus the projected $900 million state budget surplus on tax cuts and increased transportation spending—two areas in which state policymakers failed to enact major legislation during the 2015 session. The bonding...