Billions in tax breaks receive little scrutiny, report says

As tax breaks continue to grown, Ohio lawmakers fall short on review.

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Contact: Wendy Patton, 614.221.4505

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Ohio lawmakers have increased spending on tax breaks, but fiscal oversight of billions of dollars in these tax exemptions, credits and deductions is lacking, a new report from Policy Matters Ohio says.

These “tax expenditures” will total almost $9 billion in the 2017 fiscal year. The tax breaks apply to certain goods and services, industries, activities, individuals and companies. They make up a significant share of overall state spending, but they are not regularly reviewed. Unlike budget spending on public services such as parks, schools and universities