Removing Barriers for Nebraskans

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...

Nebraskanomics: A GAAP in Nebraska Budgeting Practices

Nebraskanomics: A GAAP in Nebraska Budgeting Practices

William Glasgall and former New York Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch of the Volcker Alliance join Jim to discuss why a major influx of federal money might be mismanaged under current local government financial practices. A transcript of the discussion can be found below. You can watch the video on YouTube or listen to the podcast episode...

Blueprint Nebraska’s Report on the Economic and Fiscal Impact of Tax Modernization

Blueprint Nebraska’s Report on the Economic and Fiscal Impact of Tax Modernization

The complete economic and fiscal impact report on the Blueprint Nebraska tax modernization plan by Regional Economic Models, Inc. is available in PDF format at this link. This page provides Blueprint Nebraska’s summary of that report. Nebraska has an outdated tax system that features relatively high taxes and inefficient and unpredictable funding of essential government services....

Nebraska should invest in its accounting infrastructure

Nebraska should invest in its accounting infrastructure

The news of the latest federal infrastructure bill, which follows the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan Act, has some people worried about the amount of debt and spending our country is taking on. And while that is happening far away from Nebraska, many of us don’t think about the impact these spending plans...

By Sarah Curry

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

Nebraska Angels’ Steph Luebbe on Investing in Entrepreneurs

Nebraska Angels’ Steph Luebbe on Investing in Entrepreneurs

Nebraska Angels Executive Director Steph Luebbe discusses the growth of angel investing in Nebraska and the resources available for firm founders and aspiring entrepreneurs. You can watch the video on YouTube or listen to the podcast episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. A transcript of the interview is available below. Mentioned on this episode: Nebraska Angels Invest Nebraska Jim...

Nebraska collects $1 billion more in tax revenue than expected

Nebraska collects $1 billion more in tax revenue than expected

The Nebraska Department of Revenue has released the June 2021 state tax revenue report. This report is especially important because it includes figures for the last month of the fiscal year, which runs July 1 to June 30. For the month of June, all major tax categories were above the forecasted amount for both gross...

By Sarah Curry

Study ranks ease of doing business in Nebraska’s largest cities

Study ranks ease of doing business in Nebraska’s largest cities

A report titled “Doing Business in North America” was published by the Center for the Study of Economic Liberty at Arizona State University. This study focuses on business regulations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Interestingly, this study’s ranking is based on cities, and Omaha and Lincoln are included in the index. These types...

By Sarah Curry

News in Nebraska with Matt Wynn of the Flatwater Free Press

News in Nebraska with Matt Wynn of the Flatwater Free Press

A new nonprofit journalism outlet will help to fill gaps in Nebraska’s media market by telling statewide stories and improving government transparency. Former USA Today and Omaha World-Herald data journalist Matt Wynn discusses the launch of The Flatwater Free Press. You can watch the video on YouTube or listen to the podcast episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. A...