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Do these highly profitable companies need state subsidies? Would Iowa legislators choose these subsidies over funding for education, human services and public safety?

The plan includes some desirable reforms that need not have come at the expense of essential public services that inevitably will have to be cut in the face of revenue losses. It also omits reforms that could enhance Iowa tax fairness. 

Real tax reform would eliminate wasteful spending on tax breaks, transform a regressive system into one that fairly reflects ability to pay, and assure a stable revenues to fund education and other critical services.

These figures raise serious questions about the need for state help to cover what may be normal expenses for these large, profitable companies.

“Is it a better use of taxpayers’ money to send millions in checks to profitable companies to do research they would do anyway, or to make sure schools can hire enough teachers next fall?”

Iowa lawmakers’ budget dilemma this year is largely self-inflicted — revenue shortfalls a product of legislators’ penchant for tax cuts over the past 20 years.

Iowa continues to give a lot of money to companies that aren’t paying income tax.

Whether we are looking at the entire range of taxes that fall on businesses or just the corporate income tax, the fact is that business taxes in Iowa are low.