Tax commissioner presents 2014 tax report

Tax commissioner presents 2014 tax report

Nebraska Tax Commissioner Kim Conroy presented the 2014 Tax Expenditure Report to the Legislature’s Revenue and Appropriations committees on Monday.

Conroy said adequate tax revenue must be brought in in a “neutral” way.

Lawmakers were told that sales tax exemptions take away simplicity and “ease of compliance” with the tax system and that stability is important for tax exemptions.

She said Nebraska general fund revenues are on a “stable” growth track and that individual income taxes show upward growth. Sales and use taxes are somewhat flat and corporate income taxes have been “volatile,” but show “nice growth,” she said.

She also noted that property taxes have grown at about 5.25 percent a year since 2005.

Sen. Paul Schumacher said the continuing, steep rise in Nebraska’s agland values is problem and asked if the state had ever considered a sales tax on the sale of land and real estate. Conroy said she doubted that lawmakers and citizens would accept that.