Taxes
I get it. For most people, paying income taxes is the most obvious and frustrating interaction with the government of each year. It’s opaque, expensive, and disconnected from any benefit.
You know what the benefits are? Public schools that turn out amazing young adults. Health departments that wade through data and provide clear guidance. Our County Recorder’s office. Well-maintained roads that are cleared swiftly after bad weather, and sometimes even during. Citizens who can go to the doctor before they need the emergency room. Parents who can take jobs and volunteer for causes they care about because their kids are in childcare or preschool.
Sales taxes are regressive, putting the most strain on those with the least financial security. Increasing property taxes will simply hurt retired Iowans living on fixed incomes and young Iowans looking to move into home ownership. Income taxes are the best way to raise the funds a government requires to do its work, and the best way to pool the resources of the people for the good of all people.
Yes, the income tax system needs to be simplified, clarified, and made more progressive. But it must not be eliminated.
https://www.thegazette.com/news/eliminating-state-income-tax-iowa-gov-says-all-ideas-are-on-the-table/
https://tax.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-01/IDR%20Annual%20Report%20FY2020.pdf