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Show Better utilization off Utah Tax records advised by Foundation Better utilization, of existing tax records in Utah in order to cbtain needed economic and statistical information was stressed in study just completed by Utah Foundation the private research organization. organi-zation. According to the Foundation Founda-tion report, Utahns filed more than 3,000,000 tax and license forms with the State Tax Commission Com-mission last year. These returns re-turns contain a wealth of data that could be used to demonstrate and evaluate economic changes taking place within the state. They also could provide valuble information infor-mation to the Legislature and other groups studying the effect ef-fect of actual and proposed changes in the tax laws. Foundation analysts point out that very little is done at the present time to provide meaningful statistical compilations compil-ations and analyses of such data from available lax records. re-cords. As a result, when information in-formation is desired, or when j tax changes are contemplated, special surveys must be un- j dertaken. Often inmportant ' decisions are made without! the benefit of accurate infor-1 mation. The cost of not having need ed information available was illustrated earlier this year when the 1972 Budget Session was considering a measure designed to simplify reporting report-ing for state income tax purposes. pur-poses. The bill was defeated when a question arose regarding re-garding the revenue implications implica-tions of a changeover to a simplified form. The matter was referred back to the Legislative Leg-islative Council for further study. The Council presently is working with personnel in the State Tax Commission t arrive at a new cost estimate of the proposed changes. The Foundation suggestion of utilizing tax records for economic and statistical purposes pur-poses is consistent with the idea of minimizing demands on businessmen and individuals. individ-uals. In many cases the Information Infor-mation sought through Fpecial surveys, etc. could he obtained of data on existing tax records re-cords were compiled and re-' re-' ported. Singled out for special attention at-tention by the Foundation are the state sales tax and income in-come tax reports. For a time, the State Tax Commission undertook the quarterly re- (Continued on Page 8) Foundation report . . . (Continued from front page) porting of sales tax collections by basic industrial classification. classifica-tion. This report provided a valuable clue as to changes occuring in the state's economy econ-omy and produced a vast store of economic data of widespread wide-spread interest and value. Unfortunately, Un-fortunately, the report was discontinued in 1965 for finan- ses that the "confidentiality of information on tax returns should be zealously protected." The greater use of information on tax records for statistical purposes, however, can be achieved ach-ieved without disclosing data for individual respondents. Utah stautes emphasize that nothing in the law should "prohibit the publication of statistics so classified as to prevent the identification of particular reports or returns and the items thereof . . ." With the tools of modern electronic elec-tronic data processing available avail-able to the state, vast stores of significant economic and ' public financial data could readily be made available in Utah at minimal cost compared compar-ed with their far-reaching value val-ue to public administrators, legislators, business enterprise, enter-prise, and the general public, the Foundation study emphasizes. cial reasons, leaving a gap in According to the Foundation study, the state income tax returns probably comprise the most significant collection of economic data about Utah and its citizens. Practically nothing is done at the present time to complie these data into in-to meaningful statistical reports. re-ports. Included in the informa-tion informa-tion that would be extremely valuable form an economic standpoint are income distributions distri-butions by (1) source of income, in-come, (2) counties or other geoprahic areas, (3) occupation occupa-tion or profession, (4) marital status, (5) gross Income, (6) taxable income, etc. Further analysis of deductions, exemptions, ex-emptions, and taxes withheld would also assit legislators, public officials, and economists econo-mists In their responsibilities, r The Foundation report stres- |