(Statehouse) – Indiana lawmakers introduced a third property tax plan last week, aiming to protect local governments from funding cuts while offering minimal relief to homeowners.
The proposal, led by state Rep. Jeff Thompson (R-Lizton), would change how property taxes are calculated, including phasing out certain homestead deductions and shifting local income tax authority.
“When you raise the rate, pocketbook lost some money,” he said. “You lower the rate; pocketbook gains some money – that’s the right system. It won’t be always smooth, but the alternative is where we’re at right now, and we can continue on down the path and we’ll have the same results.”
Thompson’s plan joins competing proposals from Gov. Mike Braun and Senate Republicans. Braun’s plan, which was central to his campaign, would significantly cut property taxes but at the expense of local government funding. The Senate version proposes smaller cuts to both homeowner taxes and local budgets.
David Ober, vice president for taxation and public finance at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, told lawmakers that changes to the business personal property tax rate were “a bit of a double-edged sword.”
“It eliminates the aggregate floor,” he said. “It doesn’t eliminate individual pool floors. A lot of businesses’ personal property is sitting at that floor – at that 30% – but if you eliminate that 30% floor, it’s not like it goes down to zero.”
Despite the differences, all three plans would shift tax burdens between property classes.
Critics argued that reducing business taxes could place more financial pressure on homeowners. The Ways and Means Committee is also considering separate legislation to gradually lower the state income tax rate if revenue growth meets specific targets.
(Story by our newsgathering partners at Indiana News Service)
