To attract and retain more businesses and jobs in Kentucky, it is vitally important the public and business community have confidence that our tax code will be consistently and fairly enforced. Kentucky’s tax code should be administered in a transparent and equitable way to benefit the taxpayers of Kentucky. The Chamber supports legislation which promotes much-needed transparency, efficiency and equity in the administration of the state tax code.
Promote fairness.
Kentucky’s tax system should promote fairness by creating a level playing field on which Kentucky businesses can compete. Double taxation, or pyramiding, should be prohibited, and tax expenditures should be carefully studied to determine effectiveness. Taxpayer rights should be enhanced and enforced to promote fundamental fairness in the application of tax laws.
Revenue through growth.
Changes in the state tax code should be undertaken to increase fairness and competitiveness, not just to generate more tax revenue. While tax changes cannot guarantee tax neutrality for every Kentucky business, the goal must be to ensure a competitive tax code that grows existing businesses and attracts new businesses to Kentucky.
Focus on spending.
To keep taxes competitive, it is critical to examine expenditures and align them with economic realities. Reforming the tax code must be coupled with a continued commitment by the legislature to reform and prioritize government spending. Tax policies must be guided by a well-researched, balanced approach that provides for necessary public investments and expenditures while avoiding policies that could serve as disincentives to private-sector employment and investment.
Kentucky’s lawmakers are to be commended for holding the line on new or increased taxes during the Great Recession, which heightened the state’s national profile and better positioned Kentucky and its employers for recovery. However, legislators have a number of opportunities to change our tax code in ways that will have an immediate impact on Kentucky’s ability to attract and retain jobs.