A tax platform for everyday Ohioans

Policy Matters Ohio’s revenue proposals for the coming budget

Policy Matters Ohio has released a platform of six tax policies that, if included in the 2026-27 state budget, would increase funding available for public schools, childcare, healthcare and other public services by more than $3.8 billion while targeting more than $1.8 billion in tax relief to Ohioans who need it most.

“We often hear that the budget is — or should be — an expression of our values as Ohioans,” said Policy Matters Tax Researcher Bailey Williams, the report’s author. “The same is true of the way we raise money to pay for what’s in the budget. Our tax code reveals whether our leaders are committed to shared prosperity, or to the wealthy few who are consolidating control across all levels of our government.”

The report details proposals to:

• Raise income taxes on the top 3.1% of earners, whose annual income exceeds $250,000.
• Reinstate the corporate income tax to work in tandem with the current Commercial Activity Tax to prevent corporate tax avoidance.
• Close wasteful loopholes, including the LLC loophole, which alone costs the state more than $1 billion a year.
• Provide property tax relief to homeowners and renters of all ages with a circuit breaker that preserves funding for schools.
• Ensure the lowest-paid Ohioans get the full value of the Earned Income Tax Credit by making it refundable.
• Help families afford the high costs of raising children by creating a state-level child tax credit.

“Ohio has the resources to fully fund our schools; care for people when they get sick; protect our air, water, and soil; enforce labor laws; and in general do better for everyday Ohioans,” Williams said. “We just need leaders willing to stand up for us and demand the wealthy and powerful pay their fair share.”

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