Introduction

EAI believes Vermont is spending money on government services at an unsustainable rate. In order to pay for these services, Vermonters are being asked to pay more in taxes and fees with each passing year. Taxation must be circumscribed and limited else it will “defeat and render useless the power to create.” By what principle should it be limited? There is a principle embedded in our system which provides inherent limits to all taxation. It is so basic to our political institutions that it should govern every legislator, every executive, and every judge. It precedes all our constitutions, all our laws, and all our political institutions. It brought them into existence; it sustains them; without it they are a nullity.

Issue Brief

ISSUE BRIEF: EDUCATION FINANCE & PROPERTY TAXES
In 1996 the Vermont Supreme Court issued the Brigham Decision, which required that there be “substantially equal education tax resources in every district.” (Note: It does not guarantee equal spending on or opportunity for students.) In response, the legislature passed Act 60 in 1997, which, in simple terms, gives the voters of 256 school districts the responsibility for approving local school budgets, and a (then) newly established state education fund the responsibility for funding them.

Commentaries

Commentary: How Government Expands, and Liberty Contracts
 John McClaughry  
A bill to register building contractors is just the first step toward eventual licensing even for local handymen, and enforced compliance with energy conservation building s
 … Read more

Commentary: The Bottle Deposit Expansion – A Stealth Tax
Rob Roper
There is a proposal making its way through the Vermont House of Representatives to expand Vermont’s bottle deposit law. The bill would double the cost of a standard bottle de
 … Read more

Commentary: Large Tax Changes on the Table
John McClaughry  ·  1 reaction  ·  SHARE
The Vermont Tax Structure Commission has delivered its report, and its recommendations should trigger an intense debate. Switching public education support to the income tax
… Read more

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Roll Calls

Roll Call! House Creates Pension Task Force and Changes Pension Commission Duties (125-22), 2021 Apr 22

Roll Call! House Opposes Exempting $30,000 of Military Pensions from Income Tax (55-79), 2021 Apr 15  

Roll Call! House votes for $14 million/year tax on “cloud-based” software services (96-44), 2021 Apr 15

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Blog Posts

Rep. George Till, Sales Tax on Services Champion
May 05  ·  By John McClaughry  ·  1 reaction  ·  SHARE
A few days ago I received a copy of an email to a constituent from Rep. George Till, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. The Committee is apparently discussing w … Read more

The “Cloud Tax” is Back! (And You Won’t Believe Where….)
Apr 14  ·  By Rob Roper  ·  1 reaction  ·  SHARE
For years, legislators on the left have been eager to tax so called “cloud” services, or, as the legal language refers to them, “specified digital products transferred elect … Read more

Vermont Ranks 41st in Taxpayer Return-On-Investment
Mar 25  ·  By David Flemming  ·  2 reactions  ·  SHARE
Vermont ranked 41^st out of 50 states, when it comes to taxpayers' return on investment (ROI). What Vermont taxpayers pay to Montpelier doesn’t get a great return relative to … Read more

More Blog Posts on Taxes & Government Spending  

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