Conservative think tanks, business advocates call for income tax elimination in Mississippi

The group sent a letter supporting the move to Reeves, Hosemann, Gunn and lawmakers on Monday.

As lawmakers consider proposals to eliminate Mississippi’s income tax, nine conservative think tanks and business organizations penned a letter to Governor Tate Reeves, Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann, Speaker Philip Gunn and members of the Legislature in support of them taking action this session.

The letter is signed by leaders from Empower Mississippi, Americans for Prosperity-Mississippi, Mississippi Center for Public Policy, the National Federation of Independent Business, Bigger Pie Forum, Americans for Tax Reform, The American Conservative Union, National Taxpayers Union, and Taxpayers Protection Alliance.

“Mississippi stands at a crossroads,” the group writes. “With unprecedented revenue surplus and considerable federal dollars at its disposal, policymakers have a unique opportunity to prove that conservative state-based tax and spending reform can work to improve the lives of its citizens.”

The group state that the nine states that operate without an income tax have categorically proven that a state cannot only survive without an income tax, but thrive.

“On balance, these ‘no income tax’ states have dramatically outpaced national averages when it comes to both economic and population growth, while simultaneously experiencing state revenue growth that far eclipses Mississippi’s under the current tax structure,” they note.

The letter to the Mississippi elected officials says the progress made on the issue thus far would not be possible without the strong influence of leaders like Governor Reeves and Speaker Gunn, both of whom have expressed commitment to eliminating the income tax. They also state that Lt. Governor Hosemann has expressed interest in meaningful tax reform.

“Now is the time to punch the ball across the goal line. It will take even more stakeholders coming on board,” the group writes, adding, “We believe that if executed correctly, Mississippi can take a transformative leap forward, and to that end, stand ready, willing and able to share expertise and lend support to a unified effort.”

You can read the full letter below.

MS Coalition to Eliminate Income Tax by yallpolitics on Scribd