Learn Why the Utah Legislature is Working on Addressing the State’s Budget Imbalance

Utah faces a serious problem with its current tax system. With the rise of the service economy and the dramatic growth of e-commerce, we have outgrown a tax system that was designed for a manufacturing- and goods-based economy. As the economy continues to change and the state’s population grows, our outdated tax system is expected to bring in significantly lower levels of revenue, jeopardizing critical funding priorities like public education and transportation.

As revenue decreases, costs rise, and our state continues to grow, a modernized tax system that fits our economy is vital. We need to take the long view, plan for the future, and craft responsible public policy that improves the quality of life for Utah families. Addressing our state’s budget imbalance will resolve this issue.

Why Now?

Favorable economic conditions have created a window in which tax modernization can occur. An historic budget surplus will allow the legislature to hold harmless important areas of our budget–including education funding and important social services–while implementation of a new plan can occur.