Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has backed off his call for the elimination of corporate income taxes — even though that had been a key part of his economic development effort.

"More important to me is a flatter, fairer tax," the governor said during Thursday's taping of his monthly news conference on KUED Channel 7. "The corporate income tax certainly is important . . . but not at the expense of destroying broader tax reform in other areas."

Asked if he was willing to accept a package of tax reforms from lawmakers that did not include the eventual repeal of the state's corporate income tax, Huntsman answered simply, "I am."

That's a far different stance than he took during his first legislative session at the beginning of the year. Huntsman pushed unsuccessfully during the 2005 Legislature for a bill that would have phased out the 5 percent tax on corporate income by 2012.

In the end, lawmakers decided to send the issue to the newly created Tax Reform Task Force to study along with changes to the state's other major sources of revenue such as the individual income tax and sales taxes.

Concerns have been raised that the cost of the tax break would be too high, especially to schools. For example, in the budget year that ended June 30, more $201 million was collected by the state in corporate income taxes.

Also, lawmakers have questioned why businesses not based in Utah that sell products here should benefit from the tax break. There is some talk now of tailoring the tax removal to apply primarily to Utah-based companies.

Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, who carried legislation to repeal the corporate income tax last session said the corporate tax doesn't have to be taken off the table to sell the public on other tax changes. "I don't think one would inherently prohibit the other," Bramble said.

But Thursday, Huntsman said he's willing to give up the tax break for businesses in exchange for what he described as "a fairer, flatter tax" for individuals. And he said he plans to start speaking out next month on his vision of tax reform.

"I'm going to be pretty active through September, taking this discussion to the people of this state," the governor said. "Because I do believe that once people understand the importance of a flatter, fairer tax, they will buy into the concept of what we're trying to do."

Huntsman wants the 2006 Legislature to act on a tax reform package. "It's kind of now or never. And if it isn't now then it's kind of the same old thing since the 1950s, which is forget about the whole tax end of public policy."

Just what package the governor will be pitching remains to be seen, other than he won't force the issue on repealing the corporate income tax. "I'm not going to hold everything else hostage in the name of corporate taxes," he said after the taping.