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Iowa House Passes Alternative Maximum Tax: Income Tax Option Clear of Carveouts

3 min readBy: Joseph Bishop-Henchman

I’ve never filled out an Iowa income tax form but it looks like one of the harder state taxA tax is a mandatory payment or charge collected by local, state, and national governments from individuals or businesses to cover the costs of general government services, goods, and activities. returns. Iowa allows you to deduct what you pay in federal income tax, which is nice but is that much more calculation work (and probably drives up tax rates). There are lines for the lump-sum tax, the minimum tax, the K-12 textbook credit, the school district surtaxA surtax is an additional tax levied on top of an already existing business or individual tax and can have a flat or progressive rate structure. Surtaxes are typically enacted to fund a specific program or initiative, whereas revenue from broader-based taxes, like the individual income tax, typically cover a multitude of programs and services. , the motor fuel tax creditA tax credit is a provision that reduces a taxpayer’s final tax bill, dollar-for-dollar. A tax credit differs from deductions and exemptions, which reduce taxable income, rather than the taxpayer’s tax bill directly. , and the earned income tax credit. I’m sure each one of these has their explanations of necessity but together it sounds like a lot of paperwork, record-keeping, and Tax Filing Day frustration.

Finally, the Iowa tax table is nine tax bracketA tax bracket is the range of incomes taxed at given rates, which typically differ depending on filing status. In a progressive individual or corporate income tax system, rates rise as income increases. There are seven federal individual income tax brackets; the federal corporate income tax system is flat. s, the first seven of which are below $30,000. Of course, the state provides a booklet to ease tax calculation but it still seems needlessly complicated.

Hence, I’m impressed by a bill passed yesterday (House File 478) by the Iowa House which would offer an alternative to all Iowa taxpayers: a 4.5 percent tax on all income above about $15,000, which no further deductions or exemptions. It’s not perfect: our friend Joe Kristan pointed out that a credit for taxes paid to another state and a deduction for federal interest are probably constitutionally required, and offsetting deductions to certain kinds of income (allowing gambling losses if you tax gambling winnings) is good policy. But as Joe said, the bill “is a welcome step towards improving Iowa’s income tax.”

The Legislative Services Agency estimates that taxpayers who earn between $30,000 and $40,000 would see the most benefit, although 492,000 taxpayers would see a reduction. Iowa’s top income tax rate of 8.98 percent is among the highest in the country and higher than all neighboring states (see table below).

The bill reportedly will have a tough time in the Senate.

Top State Income Tax Rates, 2013

State

Tax Rate

Applicable Income Bracket (Single Filer)

Applicable Income Bracket (Joint Filer)

Rank

California (top rate)

13.3%

>$1,000,000

>$1,000,000

1

New York City (top rate*)

12.696%

>$1,000,000

>$2,000,000

California (second rate)

12.3%

>$500,000

N/A

California (third rate)

11.3%

>$300,000

>$600,000

Hawaii (top rate)

11.0%

>$200,000

>$400,000

2

New York City (second rate*)

10.726%

>$500,000

>$500,000

New York City (third rate*)

10.498%

>$200,000

>$300,000

California (fourth rate)

10.3%

>$250,000

>$500,000

New York City (fourth rate*)

10.298%

>$75,000

>$150,000

New York City (fifth rate*)

10.098%

>$50,000

>$90,000

New York City (sixth rate*)

10.041%

>$25,000

>$45,000

Hawaii (second rate)

10.0%

>$175,000

>$350,000

New York City (seventh rate*)

9.984%

>$20,000

>$40,000

Oregon (top rate)

9.9%

>$125,000

>$250,000

3

New York City (eighth rate*)

9.434%

>$13,000

>$26,000

California (fifth rate)

9.3%

>$48,942

>$97,884

Hawaii (third rate)

9.0%

>$150,000

>$300,000

Oregon (second rate)

9.0%

>$8,150

>$16,300

Iowa (top rate)

8.98%

>$66,105

>$66,105

4

New Jersey (top rate)

8.97%

>$500,000

>$500,000

5

*-New York refers to non-New York City tax rates. New York City refers to the combined state and city income taxes. New York and New York City tax brackets are 2012 figures, as 2013 inflationInflation is when the general price of goods and services increases across the economy, reducing the purchasing power of a currency and the value of certain assets. The same paycheck covers less goods, services, and bills. It is sometimes referred to as a “hidden tax,” as it leaves taxpayers less well-off due to higher costs and “bracket creep,” while increasing the government’s spending power. -adjusted figures have not yet been released. New York also has a benefit recapture provision, meaning that higher tax rates apply to all income of some taxpayers, not just income above the bracket threshold.

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