Utah legislative leaders will announce Thursday that they are abandoning efforts during the current session to overhaul the state’s tax code, The Salt Lake Tribune has learned, following mounting pressure and criticism from industry, community and education leaders.
The announcement follows weeks of closed-door negotiations over HB441, which sought to dramatically expand the state’s sales tax through the addition of new taxes on services-based business. Those new taxes would have been offset by a corresponding cut to the state’s income tax, which is earmarked for spending on public education.
The proposal is expected to be considered during interim meetings of the Legislature, with the potential for a special session this year or action during the 2020 session.