Utah runs a hefty surplus

All the good tax revenue news will likely impact an in-depth Utah tax reform study now under way.

Conservatives on the Tax Reform Task Force have said a number of times that the state's tax system should be changed so there aren't big bumps in revenues in good times and steep drops in bad times.

By going to flat rate income taxes, experts say, you wouldn't see the big jumps in revenue like the $95 million this year. And there would be less political pressure to spend all that cash.

In addition, by changing the Utah Constitution to "decouple" income tax revenues from public education spending, politicians and residents might be more willing to reform income taxes — and take less money overall in income taxes.

Both a flat rate income tax and decoupling the revenue from public education funding are preliminary recommendations placed before the task force a week ago.

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