Taxes

America’s founding documents declare that our government exists to secure for ourselves and for our posterity the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Consequently, taxes are the price we necessarily pay to secure those rights. Taxes help make our neighborhoods desirable and our daily travel possible. They help build communities where our children grow up feeling safe. But taxes have also fueled revolutions and rebellions. Taxation must reflect the will of the people and be designed to improve their well-being.

Good taxes are reasonable, fair, responsible and transparent. Reasonable taxes are not overly burdensome and create direct benefits for taxpayers. Fair taxes treat people evenhandedly – citizens who live in similar situations are taxed similarly – while considering a business or family’s ability to afford new taxes. Responsible taxes promote strong families and economic activity by remaining low – a recognition that families are Utah’s primary economic engine. Transparent taxes empower citizens to learn how their tax dollars are being used, aligning tax policy with the consent of the governed.

While no tax policy can perfectly embody these principles, we must strive for tax reform to better reflect them, always motivated by the proper ends to ensure that Utah’s future remains prosperous, secure and well-governed.

Taxes

America’s founding documents declare that our government exists to secure for ourselves and for our posterity the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Consequently, taxes are the price we necessarily pay to secure those rights. Taxes help make our neighborhoods desirable and our daily travel possible. They help build communities where our children grow up feeling safe. But taxes have also fueled revolutions and rebellions. Taxation must reflect the will of the people and be designed to improve their well-being.

Good taxes are reasonable, fair, responsible and transparent. Reasonable taxes are not overly burdensome and create direct benefits for taxpayers. Fair taxes treat people evenhandedly – citizens who live in similar situations are taxed similarly – while considering a business or family’s ability to afford new taxes. Responsible taxes promote strong families and economic activity by remaining low – a recognition that families are Utah’s primary economic engine. Transparent taxes empower citizens to learn how their tax dollars are being used, aligning tax policy with the consent of the governed.

While no tax policy can perfectly embody these principles, we must strive for tax reform to better reflect them, always motivated by the proper ends to ensure that Utah’s future remains prosperous, secure and well-governed.