A report released by the Washington-based Tax Foundation says that Utahns will toil the first 103 days of 2009 to pay off the tax man.
It ranks Utah 13th out of 50 in terms of overall tax burden, a status that some decry as sad testimony for such a conservative state.
"Utahns labor under one of the highest tax burdens in the country," says Royce Van Tassell, vice president of the Utah Taxpayers Association.
Van Tassell recommends further cuts to government spending and a uniform statewide sales tax that would eliminate local "boutique taxes to fund pet projects."
He applauds the state's switch to a flat income tax, calling it a tax cut that benefits everyone.
Bob Springmeyer, president of Bonneville Research and a former Democratic candidate for governor, disagrees.
"The single-rate flat tax shifts the burden from the very wealthy to the middle class," Springmeyer says. "It also results in underfunding of Utah schools."
Allison Rowland, budget director for Voices for Utah Children, questioned the report's methodology and premise, saying both are flawed.
"This kind of calculation pushes forward a false dichotomy," Rowland said. "All the things we depend on for quality of life -- roads, clean water, education and infrastructure -- would be impossible without taxes."
April 13 is Tax Freedom Day
That's the date used in a Tax Foundation report to illustrate how many days Americans work to pay taxes.
In 1989 » it was April 22.
In 1999 » it was May 1.
Alaska ranks 50th » Its day is March 23.
Connecticut ranks 1st » Its day is April 30.
View the report » online at www.taxfoundation.org /publications/show/93.html
