Currently there are more than 700 items of legislation publicly available with more to come as the legislative session continues.
If that sounds overwhelming, we have you covered for what bills deal directly with tax policy. As bills are released association staff reviews the bills and identifies which the Association will follow, support, or oppose. The association board of directors then sets our position on each bill in consultation with staff.
The association positions can be seen on our legislative watchlist which is updated on our website each week. The watchlist is also distributed to legislators to assist them as they consider tax bills that come before them.
Positions on bills are evaluated by asking these questions:
- Does the legislation increase the overall tax burden borne by Utahns?
- Does the legislation unfairly shift taxes from one group of taxpayers to another?
- Does the legislation weaken important protections for taxpayers, i.e, Truth in Taxation?
- Does the legislation place an industry, or the State of Utah, at a competitive disadvantage?
- Does the legislation threaten tax rate uniformity and consistency locality to locality, state to state?
- Does the legislation require taxpayers and businesses to track new or increased information to comply with reporting requirements?
- Does the legislation represent an unfunded mandate to businesses which will likely increase their costs, i.e., health insurance mandates?
- Does the legislation use the increased revenues for purposes which do not benefit those who pay the tax?
- Does the legislation result in unnecessary governmental growth?
- Has the Association previously opposed similar legislative proposals?
You can view the latest watchlist by clicking here.