Loopholes and other tax breaks cost Ohio $12 billion a year. Legislators should take a closer look. Introduction Unproductive tax breaks that favor corporations and wealthy Ohioans have riddled the state tax code for years. House Bill 96, the budget bill recently approved by the General Assembly, limited a number
UPDATE: September 8, 2025:We’ve updated our analysis based on the latest available data. Current data and analysis are available here. Lawmakers underfund Ohio schools by $2.86B in FY26-27; Veto overrides risk another $330M Learn how Ohio lawmakers’ funding choices will impact your district. [Click here to access the July 2025
Chair Roemer, Vice-Chair Thomas, Ranking Member Smith, and members of the House Ways and Means committee: My name is Bailey Williams, and I am the tax policy researcher at Policy Matters Ohio, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research institute with the mission of creating a more vibrant, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable Ohio.
This op-ed was originally published by Cleveland.com on June 15, 2025. Property taxes are the oldest form of taxation in Ohio, existing since 1825. It is time to reform them — and the state’s tax code in general. But a proposed constitutional amendment to eliminate property taxes goes too far.
The following was originally published in the Dayton Daily News on June 5, 2025. People on both sides of the debate over property tax repeal agree on one thing: Counties, cities, towns and villages, schools and libraries should not have to depend so heavily on property taxes. But only one
For most Ohioans, flat tax scheme is a flop The Ohio Senate has passed its state budget bill. Policy Matters Ohio Tax Policy Researcher Bailey Williams issued the following statement: “Every budget is a statement about who our lawmakers serve. The senate-passed version of the budget bill makes it clear
Tax Policy Researcher Bailey Williams highlights the cost of the flat income tax included in the Senate version of HB 96. He answers questions on how we can oppose its inclusion in the budget, and provides resources to see its removal.
Testimony to the Senate Finance Committee on HB 96 Hello Chair Cirino, Vice-Chair Chavez, Ranking Member Hicks-Hudson, members of the Senate Finance Committee. My name is Bailey Williams, and I am a tax policy researcher at Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization with the mission of creating a
Hello Chair Cirino, Vice-Chair Chavez, Ranking Member Hicks-Hudson, members of the Senate Finance Committee. My name is Bailey Williams, and I am a tax policy researcher at Policy Matters Ohio, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization with the mission of creating a more vibrant, equitable, sustainable, and inclusive Ohio. Thank you
New, bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Louis Blessing and Kent Smith should be immediately considered in the ongoing operating budget debate in the Ohio Senate. This bill, titled “A Good Deal for Ohio Act,” would modernize our tax code to put vital public resources into Ohio communities. The legislation would
To be effective, property tax relief policy must actually reach the taxpayers who need it, while protecting the schools, libraries, local governments, and other entities that rely on property tax revenue to pay for their vital public services. Many communities in Ohio have seen historic rises in property values coming
Everyday Ohioans should not settle for sales tax holiday crumbs
This piece originally appeared on Cleveland.com on July 27, 2025 Ohio is about to begin its second annual expanded Sales Tax Holiday. This holiday has been panned by experts across the political spectrum. The conservative Tax Foundation and the progressive Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy describe sales tax holidays