Minnesota Taxes and Tax Plans

State tax policy that prioritizes everyday Minnesotans can expand economic opportunity, build thriving communities, and strengthen our economic future. However, tax policy can also widen income, wealth, and racial inequality if it primarily benefits those who are already doing well in today's economy.

We analyze individual tax proposals and full tax plans from the governor and legislative bodies, as well as the tax system overall, emphasizing the impact on everyday Minnesotans, tax fairness, and the ability of the tax system to raise the revenues needed to sustainably fund public investments that keep us moving forward as a state.

Research

May 2024

Advance periodic payments would make the Minnesota Child Tax Credit fit even better into family budgets

While 15 states have some form of state Child Tax Credit, Minnesota could be the first to implement a new way for families to get their Child Tax Credit: advance periodic payments. Advance periodic payments would get money in the pockets of Minnesota families sooner and more frequently during the year so they can better afford their daily lives. The 2023 tax bill allows for creation of a process for Minnesota families to choose to receive a portion of their Child Tax Credit in advance through multiple payments, instead of waiting to receive the full amount after they have filed their state income taxes. This brief covers how the advance payment process could work, its design principles, challenges, and policy responses.

January 2024

Minnesota's policy choices move it toward the top for tax fairness in 50-state study

In an era of income inequality and growing concentration of wealth, a new 50-state study analyzes whether state tax sys...

May 2023

A Minnesota Child Tax Credit would unleash the power of the tax code to fight child poverty

Minnesota should join a growing number of states that have created Child Tax Credits, building on the remarkable success of the expanded federal Child Tax Credit in reducing child poverty and material hardship among families.

February 2023

Who Receives the Renters' Credit? (TY 2019)

By providing property tax refunds to qualifying households, Minnesota helps bring down one of the costs of housing and creates a more equitable tax system. This issue brief provides data on the impact of the Renters’ Credit in each Minnesota county and for the state as a whole.

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Taxes and Tax Plans Blog Posts

May 28, 2024

2024 Legislature passes improvements in Child Tax Credit, tax-filing process

The Minnesota Legislature passed some investments in Minnesota families’ economic well-being and improving their tax-filing experience in this year’s final tax legislation, including essential provisions for successful implementation of advance payments of the Child Tax Credit. Here’s a look at how our priorities for the tax bill fared this session.

May 13, 2024

Child Tax Credit and tax-filing improvements in play in final 2024 tax negotiations

Minnesota policymakers could be less than two weeks away from enacting into law innovations and improvements in the Child Tax Credit and Minnesotans’ tax-filing experience. Here's a closer look at the issues we are watching and how they are treated in Walz’s tax plan, the House tax bill, and Senate tax bill. Tax negotiators will need to reach agreement and pass final tax legislation before the legislative session ends on May 20.

May 03, 2024

Direct File could save Minnesotans time and money when filing income taxes

Paying taxes is how we come together to fund public services that Minnesotans value and count on, but with our current system, the majority of folks pay to meet their tax-filing responsibilities. Direct File is a free online tool to file and prepare income taxes, and Minnesota can build on positive federal progress on making this option available. Read our blog to learn about how a Direct File system would benefit Minnesotans by saving time, money, and improving access to tax credits.

April 03, 2024

Joint state budget targets set for 2024 Legislative Session

Governor Tim Walz reached an agreement with House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy on budget targets on March 22. The agreement outlines targets of $478 million in net general budget changes, including increased spending or reduced revenues, for FY 2024-25 and $63 million for FY 2026-27. The joint budget targets also set the parameters for final budget negotiations between the House, Senate, and the governor.

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