That being said, I have only lived in Texas for less than three years. I have been advised by more experienced Texas Freeper natives that there has always been talk about a state income tax behind the scenes; the truth is that there will NEVER be a state income tax in Texas for various state constitutional and political reasons.
When I lived in Illinois, they raised state income taxes in the late 80's (temporarily, btw). They used the same excuses as Tennessee. The citizens of Illinois are still waiting for those tax surcharges to be repealed. Need I say more.
Still keep an eye out for this. You never know what the liberals are up to.
But I didn't. Republicans are going to get a commanding advantage in the state legislature this year, and I doubt any such bill is allowed for discussion on the floor.
They just love to bandy about terms like "fairness" and "greed", as in discussing the "fairness" of their proposals, and the "greed" of anyone opposing them.
Just ask the Tennesseans, where investment income is called "unearned" income!
I am fixin to move my happy a$$ to Texas here in a year or so, getting the heck out of VA to which I've been paying state taxes to fund new office suite carpeting for the wine-and-white-linen set for the past ??? years... I was kinda looking forward to leaving all that crap behind, y'all! Thought you Texicans had more sense...
Well, many know how "voluntary" the Federal income tax is. It is the first step and they will try to sneak an income tax into Texas by saying it is voluntary.
Don't be fooled by the word "voluntary".
This is not the first shot and has been going on for twenty years. The problem now is that we have lots of new people in the state, taxes are far too high, and old line Rats are regaining control of the party behind the scenes. (read Sharp, Barnes etc.)
They will try to push this on us every two years until they win.
http://advocate4texas.4mg.com/newpage5.htm
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/
http://www.governor.state.tx.us/
http://www.lbb.state.tx.us/
http://www.window.state.tx.us/txgovinf/tbs.html
http://204.65.49.78:81/
http://www.utexas.edu/lbj/pubs/books/budget.html
http://www.protex.org/
(a) A general law enacted by the legislature that imposes a tax on the net incomes of natural persons, including a person's share of partnership and unincorporated association income, must provide that the portion of the law imposing the tax not take effect until approved by a majority of the registered voters voting in a statewide referendum held on the question of imposing the tax. The referendum must specify the rate of the tax that will apply to taxable income as defined by law. The Texas Constitution
Article 8 - TAXATION AND REVENUE
Section 24 - PERSONAL INCOME TAX; DEDICATION OF PROCEEDS
(b) A general law enacted by the legislature that increases the rate of the tax, or changes the tax, in a manner that results in an increase in the combined income tax liability of all persons subject to the tax may not take effect until approved by a majority of the registered voters voting in a statewide referendum held on the question of increasing the income tax. A determination of whether a bill proposing a change in the tax would increase the combined income tax liability of all persons subject to the tax must be made by comparing the provisions of the proposed change in law with the provisions of the law for the most recent year in which actual tax collections have been made. A referendum held under this subsection must specify the manner in which the proposed law would increase the combined income tax liability of all persons subject to the tax.
(c) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this section, the legislature may amend or repeal a tax approved by the voters under this section without submitting the amendment or the repeal to the voters as provided by Subsection (a) of this section.
(d) If the legislature repeals a tax approved by the voters under this section, the legislature may reenact the tax without submitting the reenactment to the voters as provided by Subsection (a) of this section only if the effective date of the reenactment of the tax is before the first anniversary of the effective date of the repeal.
(e) The legislature may provide for the taxation of income in a manner which is consistent with federal law.
(f) In the first year in which a tax described by Subsection (a) is imposed and during the first year of any increase in the tax that is subject to Subsection (b) of this section, not less than two-thirds of all net revenues remaining after payment of all refunds allowed by law and expenses of collection from the tax shall be used to reduce the rate of ad valorem maintenance and operation taxes levied for the support of primary and secondary public education. In subsequent years, not less than two-thirds of all net revenues from the tax shall be used to continue such ad valorem tax relief.
(g) The net revenues remaining after the dedication of money from the tax under Subsection (f) of this section shall be used for support of education, subject to legislative appropriation, allocation, and direction.
(h) The maximum rate at which a school district may impose ad valorem maintenance and operation taxes is reduced by an amount equal to one cent per $100 valuation for each one cent per $100 valuation that the school district's ad valorem maintenance and operation tax is reduced by the minimum amount of money dedicated under Subsection (f) of this section, provided that a school district may subsequently increase the maximum ad valorem maintenance and operation tax rate if the increased maximum rate is approved by a majority of the voters of the school district voting at an election called and held for that purpose. The legislature by general law shall provide for the tax relief that is required by Subsection (f) and this subsection.
(i) Subsections (f) and (h) of this section apply to ad valorem maintenance and operation taxes levied by a school district on or after the first January 1 after the date on which a tax on the net incomes of natural persons, including a person's share of partnership and unincorporated association income, begins to apply to that income, except that if the income tax begins to apply on a January 1, Subsections (f) and (h) of this section apply to ad valorem maintenance and operation taxes levied on or after that date.
(j) A provision of this section prevails over a conflicting provision of Article VII, Section 3, of this Constitution to the extent of the conflict. (Added Nov. 2, 1993.)
One thing you can count on is vote fraud so that will have to be watched very, very closely. Texas has a 7.8% sales tax, I consider that a fair and evenly distributed tax. Austin is just going to have to get by with that.