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Passage of budget puts this promise in the books
The 2013-'15 state budget that Gov. Scott Walker signed into law June 30, 2013 included a $651 million income tax cut for the two-year period.
That goes directly to his 2010 campaign pledge to lower the income tax.
The budget cuts rates across the board and reduces the number of income tax brackets from five to four.
Here"s a breakdown of state income tax rates for married couples filing jointly, from the Wisconsin Budget Project, which is part of the liberal advocacy group Wisconsin Council on Children and Families:
Taxable income |
Tax rate/Previous law |
Tax rate/New budget |
Up to $14,000 |
4.6 percent |
4.4 percent |
$14,000 to $29,000 |
6.15 percent |
5.85 percent |
$29,000 to $215,000 |
6.5 percent |
6.27 percent |
$215,000 to $315,000 |
6.75 percent |
6.27 percent |
$315,000 and over |
7.75 percent |
7.65 percent |
Tamarine Cornelius, an analyst with the budget project, said that despite the tax cuts in the 2013-'15 budget, some low-income people have seen an increase in the income taxes they pay, and others are getting smaller income tax refunds, because of the change in the earned income tax credit in the 2011-'13 budget.
(Based partly on the tax credit change, which is regarded as a tax increase by the nonpartisan state Legislative Fiscal Bureau, we gave Walker a Promise Broken on his pledge to oppose and veto all tax increases.)
But given the across-the-board cuts in tax rates and the reduced revenue that will result from the 2013-'15 budget, we move our rating on this pledge to Promise Kept.
Our Sources
Wisconsin Budget Project, "An overview of taxes and revenue in the 2013-15 budget,” July 3, 2013
CCH Group, "Wisconsin -- Multiple taxes: Enacted budget bill includes rate cuts, many other tax provisions,” July 2, 2013
Email interview, Wisconsin Budget Project analyst Tamarine Cornelius, July 11, 2013
Email interview, Gov. Scott Walker press secretary Tom Evenson, July 11, 2013
Email interview, Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance president Todd Berry, July 11, 2013