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

January 2012

Constitutional budget limits would put Minnesota's future at risk

Amending the Minnesota Constitution to limit lawmakers' ability to use available resources or decide the size of the state budget would endanger the state's economic future. Three proposed constitutional amendments would limit lawmakers' ability to respond to changing circumstances and needs. They would result in legislative gridlock and more budget gimmicks, ultimately putting the state's future at risk.

August 2011

2011 budget decisions will undermine current recovery and hurt state's long-term economic success

After a nearly three-week government shutdown, Governor Dayton and the Legislature finally agreed to a budget for the state's FY 2012-13 biennium. The agreement delays $2.2 billion in payments to school districts, borrows $640 million through tobacco bonds, and reduces funding for vital public services by more than $2 billion. This analysis examines the impact of these decisions on K-12 education, health and human services, higher education, jobs and economic development, public safety, transportation, and taxes.

June 2011

A tale of two visions: Comparing Governor Dayton's and the Legislature's FY 2012-13 budgets

During the 2011 Legislative Session, Governor Dayton and the Legislature put forward two very different plans for the state's next two-year budget. Governor Dayton has proposed a balanced approach that combines spending cuts and revenue increases, while the Legislature's budget relies heavily on deep cuts to services. This analysis compares the details of the two plans for K-12 education, health and human services, higher education, jobs and economic development, public safety, transportation, and taxes.

May 2011

Constitutional revenue limits damaged Colorado's business climate, quality of life

In 1992, Colorado adopted TABOR, a constitutional amendment that strictly limits state spending. The state soon found itself falling behind in many economic performance and achievement indicators. In 2005, a bipartisan, broad-based coalition of state leaders and groups succeeded in temporarily suspending TABOR to allow Colorado's economy to recover.

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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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