House Speaker Brian Bosma says after years of major tax cuts and reforms, it’s time for the General Assembly to, in his words, “take a breath.”
Speaker Bosma says the legislature has enacted 15 tax cuts over the last 14 years, including property tax caps, reductions in the corporate and individual income taxes and elimination of the inheritance tax. He says he thinks it’s time to let the system settle and allow people to get accustomed to the state’s existing tax climate.
“Having said that, someone may come forward with a brilliant proposal that will create jobs without the expense of local government services or state services and we will be all ears on that,” Bosma said.
Gov. Mike Pence says he’s waiting on the results of a blue ribbon commission studying Indiana’s business tax climate before making a decision on what, if any, tax reforms he’ll push for next session. But Pence does say he’s got an eye towards tax simplification.
“We’d go a long way toward making Indiana even more attractive for investment, but also we’d save Hoosier taxpayers and businesses dollars that they’re otherwise spending in complying,” Pence said.
Speaker Bosma says he’d fully support efforts to simplify Indiana’s tax forms.