"The vast majority of Utahns will see no tax increase," said the proposal's sponsor, Sen. Curt Bramble. And, in fact, supporters claim, three of four taxpayers will see a cut.

"This is the culmination of thousands of hours of work. It has been Gov. [Jon] Huntsman's top agenda item for some time," Bramble said.

Even with less than three weeks left, House and Senate leaders are confident the proposal, SB242, will replace what they describe as a patchy and unstable tax structure.

The governor's chief of staff, Neil Ashdown, said about 75 percent of Utah taxpayers will be better off under the new plan. But the real goal is to give the state a simpler and fairer system that provides dependable revenue notwithstanding economic fluctuations.

"I don't want to talk about winners and losers," Ashdown said. "Most Utahns will be better off, but as a state this will be a good long-term strategy and will help all of us."

The bill was unanimously approved Friday by the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee.

Rep. John Dougall will introduce an identical tax plan in the House early next week. Dougall's plan includes a proposal to eliminate the sales tax on food, while Senate Republicans have leaned toward a food-tax refund for low-income families.

The tax bill's introduction was delayed because the latest tax revenue figures and projections won't be available until early next week. Because the plan still contains some deductions for mortgage and charitable giving, tax reformers call it a modified, or "flatter," design.

The 4.9 percent tax rate - down from the current 7 percent top rate - would make Utah competitive with surrounding Western states. Utah would move from the 14th highest rate in the nation, Ashdown said, to the 14th lowest in nation.

"We know this will help us in terms of competitiveness and job growth," he said. "This is an extremely important piece of the economic development process."

The tax plan represents a $60 million tax cut for individuals. That translates to a 3 percent annual revenue loss in education funding, because income tax is earmarked for public schools. Supporters emphasize education still will see growth in income because the economy is growing.

The flatter plan, even with its compromises in charitable giving and mortgage tax deductions, still has critics.

The proposal would eliminate dozens of tax credits, including incentives for renewable energy, clean fuel vehicles, historic preservation, low-income housing, special need adoptions, stay-at-home-parents and the retirement exemption for the elderly.

"The overall goal of this bill is a long-term benefit to our families," explained Keith Prescott, an economic adviser to Huntsman. The tax plan is supposed to offset short-term problems through economic growth. "We will make our families better off in the long run."

Advocates for the poor noted the plan as written would require some residents who are below the federal poverty level to still pay state income tax.

The proposal remains open to tweaking, including boosting the rate to an even 5 percent, which would result in significantly more state revenue, said Bramble. "Those things are still open for amendment and adjustment."