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Show Utah Property Taxes Increase 57 During 18Year Period Since 1930 Property taxes levied in Utah increased 57 percent between 1930 and 194S according to a research report titled "Property Taxes in Utah" released today by Utah Foundation, the private tax study agency. During the same period, the Utah Foundation Founda-tion report notes, the addition of the sales tax, corporation and individual income taxes, and the mine occupation tax made substantial sub-stantial inroads upon the preeminence pre-eminence of the property tax as top revenue producer, although it still ranks first by a considerable consid-erable margin over any other single tax source. Property taxes in 1930 produced nearly $21 million for state and local gov. ernment in Utah, accounting for approximately 80 percent of all taxes collected by state and local units. In 1948, property taxes levied increased to $33.7 million, but represented only 45 percent of total state and local taxes for that year, according to Utah Foundation analysts. Major factors in the increase lit total property tax collections are the new 'properties added to the tax rolls, and higher metal production reflected in Increased Increas-ed taxable valuations of mines, the report states. A spot check of Salt Lake County tax rolls by Utah Foundation anaylsts indicates in-dicates that the 1943 tax on specific properties which were on the rolls in 1930 was approximately ap-proximately 10 percent higher in 1948 than the property tax charged In 1930, and 27 percent higher in 1948 than in 1940. Property taxes on specific prop-erties prop-erties were generally lower in 1940 than in 1930. However, the report notes that the property proper-ty taxpayer had no sales tax, income tax, franchise tax, or occupation tax to concern him in 1930. These taxes were adopt-ed adopt-ed in part to relieve the property taxpayer when the depression years brought heavy tax delinquency. delin-quency. The Utah Foundation report states that it is not possible to give a meaningful answer to the question, "Who pays the property prop-erty taxes in Utah?". Although property taxes are classified by the State Tax Commission in 35 groupings, such grouping do not coincide with the major sectors of the economy. It is pointed out, for example, that residential, business, and industrial properties assessed locally are t lumped together as "City and Town Lots" and "Improvements on City and Town Lots" on present tax rolls. Farm houses and farm buildings are reported as part of the same grouping with steel plants, smelters, smel-ters, sugar factories, and other industrial plants outside city limits all shown on Utah tax rolls and tax reports as "Improvements "Im-provements on Acreage, Valuations for tax purposes on mines, utilities, railroads, and certain other designated Industries Indus-tries are set by the Utah State Tax Commission, and the amount of taxes paid by these economic groups Is reported In detail each year, the Foundation study points out. Support of Utah's elementary and high schools consumes the major share of the property tax. es now levied. For 1948, $20.3 million or GO percent of all Utah property taxes were for the pub-lie pub-lie schools, which also receive the entire revenue from the in-dividual in-dividual Income tax and the corporation franchise tax. Cities and towns levied $6.8 million property taxes in 1948, 20 percent per-cent of the total, and counties $6.4 million or 19 percent of the total property tax bill. No property tax for state pur-poses pur-poses has been levied since 1945, although the 1947 Legislature contemplated a state property tax levy for building fund purposes. pur-poses. This state levy thus far has been avoided by the transfer trans-fer of sales tax revenues above welfare appropriations to finance fin-ance state institution buildings. |