Tax Policy

Blueprint Nebraska’s Jim Greisch on Nebraska’s Missing Tax Relief

Blueprint Nebraska’s Jim Greisch on Nebraska’s Missing Tax Relief

CPA Jim Greisch discusses why more than $50 million in property tax relief credits have gone unclaimed so far, and the alternatives offered by Blueprint Nebraska’s tax modernization plan. A transcript of the discussion is available below. You can watch the video on YouTube or listen to the podcast episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Mentioned on this episode:...

Forecast calls for $475 million boost to Nebraska tax receipts

Forecast calls for $475 million boost to Nebraska tax receipts

Today, the Nebraska Revenue Forecasting Board convened to meet its statutory obligation to update the state’s revenue estimates. These figures will be used when the Legislature convenes in January 2022 until the forecast is updated again at the end of February. The theme in today’s meeting was inflation—the impact it will have on the state’s...

By Sarah Curry

$50 million in Nebraska property tax relief goes unclaimed, total may rise

$50 million in Nebraska property tax relief goes unclaimed, total may rise

In a late 2020 Nebraska Legislature session delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, senators enacted a new property tax relief program under Legislative Bill 1107. The program created a state income tax credit that went into effect for the 2020 tax year. Nebraska real property owners were able to file in 2021 and receive credit from...

By Sarah Curry

Nebraska state revenues continue positive trend in September 2021

Nebraska state revenues continue positive trend in September 2021

Nebraska’s September state tax revenue collections continue to be positive, as all major tax types (sales, personal income tax, and corporate income tax) are posting above forecast. The only tax type not to meet its expected forecast are miscellaneous taxes. This tax category includes cigarette and tobacco taxes, the state tire fee, mechanical amusement device...

By Sarah Curry

Nebraska has a foreign tax with a local impact

Nebraska has a foreign tax with a local impact

There have been a lot of tax changes at the state and federal level in the last few years, one of which is the taxation of foreign income, otherwise known as GILTI. GILTI stands for Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income. It’s a category of income that is earned abroad by U.S.-controlled foreign corporations and is subject to special treatment under...

By Sarah Curry

Testimony for LR261: Interim study examining Nebraska’s tax structure

Testimony for LR261: Interim study examining Nebraska’s tax structure

Chairwoman Linehan and members of the Revenue Committee, my name is Jim Smith, and I am the Chief Strategy Officer of the Platte Institute. Thank you for scheduling this hearing to examine the structure of Nebraska’s tax system and for your ongoing efforts to improve the State’s tax environment and competitive standing. As a Blueprint...

By Jim Smith

What’s the status of property tax relief?

What’s the status of property tax relief?

For 2021, the Nebraska Legislature increased funding for the Property Tax Credit Fund by $25 million, to a total of $300 million. The state distributes the money from the fund to local taxing subdivisions. Then, your county treasurer credits your property tax bill based on your valuation. However, it has no bearing on how much...

By Jim Vokal

August general fund revenues exceed expectations

August general fund revenues exceed expectations

Nebraska August tax revenues have been reported by the Department of Revenue, and the result continues to be positive, as all tax types are posting above forecast figures. For the month of August, net revenues were 9% above forecast, or in excess by $46 million. Personal income tax collections for the month posted double-digit percentages...

By Sarah Curry

Nebraskanomics: Taxes That Lose Money for Nebraska

Nebraskanomics: Taxes That Lose Money for Nebraska

Tax attorney Tom Yamachika of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii explains how the types of taxes states have, or the way they are designed, can cause states to lose revenue or to impose higher tax rates than necessary. A transcript of the discussion can be found below. You can watch the video on YouTube or listen to...

Making Cents: Why Nebraska Should Modernize the Sales Tax, Pt. 2

Making Cents: Why Nebraska Should Modernize the Sales Tax, Pt. 2

In our last episode, we discussed some of the practical and economic reasons why Nebraska should eliminate more of its sales tax exemptions. Now, let’s talk about crafting a vision for a better tax system, and how modernizing the sales tax fits into any plan to make bold changes in our state. You can watch...

By Jim Vokal

Blueprint Nebraska’s Tax Modernization Plan Explained

Blueprint Nebraska’s Tax Modernization Plan Explained

Blueprint Nebraska, a campaign dedicated to increasing Nebraska’s economic growth and competitiveness over the next decade, has released its proposed framework for bringing Nebraska’s tax system into the 21st century. Blueprint Nebraska’s Taxation & Incentives Industry Council took insights from surveys, public forums, and tax policy research to develop a plan that gives Nebraska a...

By Jim Vokal

Nebraska state revenues start fiscal year $10 million above projections

Nebraska state revenues start fiscal year $10 million above projections

Nebraska state government just posted its first revenue report for the new 2021-2022 fiscal year and the results are positive. Net revenues for the month of July were above the forecasted amount by 3.2% or $10 million. All major tax sources posted collections ahead of projections except for the personal income tax, which was 26.5%...

By Sarah Curry

New Nebraska property tax law may be prompting closer look at rates

New Nebraska property tax law may be prompting closer look at rates

It’s budget time for Nebraska local governments, and that’s when members of the public get to attend local hearings to share their comments regarding the spending plan of their communities. Two local governments in Nebraska have recently announced their budget and held their public hearings on their spending plans: the City of Omaha and Douglas...

By Sarah Curry

Making Cents: Why Nebraska Should Modernize the Sales Tax, Pt. 1

Making Cents: Why Nebraska Should Modernize the Sales Tax, Pt. 1

Most people take for granted that the sales tax is the tax we pay when we buy things. But if you look carefully at your receipts, you’ll begin to notice most of the things you buy in Nebraska don’t have sales tax collected on them. This is also known as a sales tax exemption. On...

By Jim Vokal