Doing Tax Policy at the Ballot Is Not for the Faint of Heart
Some tax ballot initiatives will be straightforward, some will be complex, and—let’s be honest—some will be a drafting nightmare.
5 min readHow does Colorado’s tax code compare? Colorado has a flat 4.40 percent state individual income tax rate. Colorado has a 4.40 percent corporate income tax rate. There are jurisdictions that collect local income taxes. Colorado also has a 2.90 percent state sales tax rate, a max local sales tax rate of 8.30 percent, and an average combined state and local sales tax rate of 7.78 percent. Colorado’s tax system ranks 27th overall on our 2024 State Business Tax Climate Index.
Each state’s tax code is a multifaceted system with many moving parts, and Colorado is no exception. The first step towards understanding Colorado’s tax code is knowing the basics. How does Colorado collect tax revenue? Click the tabs below to learn more! You can also explore our state tax maps, which are compiled from our annual publication, Facts & Figures: How Does Your State Compare?
Some tax ballot initiatives will be straightforward, some will be complex, and—let’s be honest—some will be a drafting nightmare.
5 min readProperty taxes are the primary tool for financing local government and generating state-level revenue in some states as well.
5 min readThe mix of tax sources states choose can have important implications for both revenue stability and economic growth, and the many variations across states are indicative of the different ways states weigh competing policy goals.
29 min readWhile many factors influence business location and investment decisions, sales taxes are something within policymakers’ control that can have immediate impacts.
12 min readAmong the 46 states that held legislative sessions this year, structural state tax reform and temporary tax relief measures were recurring themes.
13 min readIf the policy goal of taxing cigarettes is to encourage cessation, vapor taxation must be considered a part of that policy design.
4 min readAlthough the majority of state tax changes take effect at the start of the calendar year, some are implemented at the beginning of the fiscal year. Fourteen states have notable tax changes taking effect on July 1.
7 min readThe Kansas experience is so infamous that “what about Kansas?” is almost guaranteed to be a question—sometimes as a retort, but often a genuine expression of concern—any time any state explores tax relief. But what about the other two dozen states that have cut their income taxes since then?
6 min readWhich states have the highest property taxes in 2022? See how your state compares in property taxes across the United States
3 min readThe sales tax is too important a part of states’ revenue toolkits to be permitted further erosion, making sales tax modernization a vital project of the 2020s.
17 min read