Property Tax
Utah’s property tax predated statehood by nearly 50 years, making it Utah’s oldest major tax and one that supported key services through years of both poverty and prosperity. Although the Territory, then State of Utah, relied on property taxes for many decades, in recent decades, the property tax has served as a local tax, today providing approximately $4.2 billion and making it the third largest tax revenue source after income and sales taxes. Utahns depend on the property tax to fund schools, counties, cities and towns, and special-purpose local districts.
Utah Property Tax Myth Busters: Trends and Choices
Property tax remains a topic of significant discussion in Utah. On January 17, 2024, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute co-hosted an event addressing property taxes with the Ivory-Boyer Real Estate Center. The Property Tax Myth Busters presentation provides context for the property tax’s place in Utah’s overall state and local tax portfolio, addresses property tax features, and provides an overview of Utah’s current property tax system by addressing some common misconceptions about the property tax.
Property Tax Insights
The property tax is Utah’s most stable tax. This stability comes from both the less volatile nature of property and the design of Utah’s property tax system.
A Visual Guide to Tax Modernization: Understanding Property Taxes
Utahns share a common interest in a state and local tax system that provides for our needs, keeps the economy strong, and remains viable over the long term. This visual guide, which is the third in a series, illustrates key components of Utah’s property tax – the oldest and most stable of Utah’s major taxes.