Nearly three out of four Wisconsin voters support eliminating the state’s individual income tax by 2030. Next week voters have a choice: Will Wisconsin go down the path of tax cuts and growth? Or tax hikes and decline?
Wisconsin is currently behind its neighbors in terms of income tax competitiveness. Its top individual income tax bracket is a whopping 7.65%, considerably higher than those of neighboring Iowa, Indiana, and Michigan (3.8%, 2.95%, and 4.25% respectively). Recent polling has shown that Wisconsin voters recognize this disparity and are fed up.
A July 2026 poll conducted by RMG Research found that 73% of Wisconsin voters support eliminating the income tax by 2030: 85% of Republicans, 65% of Independents, and 64% of Democrats. Gubernatorial candidate and US Representative Tom Tiffany has already come out in support of lowering and eliminating Wisconsin’s income tax. In addition, he is a signer of ATR’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge – a written commitment to never raise taxes while in office. This is in stark contrast to gubernatorial candidate David Crowley, who has not ruled out tax increases if he is elected Governor of Wisconsin.
States that refuse to pass legislation to lower and/or eliminate their income tax experience an exodus of residents and businesses to states that do. A recent study from the Tax Foundation show that states including Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arizona, and Georgia have seen an net increase in population. While states like California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Maryland have seen a net decrease.
Eliminating Wisconsin’s income tax is the right move, and states that already have, show it can be done responsibly.
North Carolina began overhauling its tax code in 2013, replacing a graduated income tax with a flat rate and reducing its former top rate of 7.75% to 3.99% in 2026. North Carolina’s income tax rate will fall to 3.49% in 2027, 3.24% in 2030, and 2.99% in 2033. Additional reductions to as low as 2.49% could take effect between 2035 and 2040 if general fund revenue collections meet specified thresholds.
Kentucky has pursued a similar approach. In 2022, lawmakers passed HB 8, establishing revenue and spending conditions for additional income tax reductions. The state has since reduced its individual income tax rate from 5% in 2022 to 3.5% in 2026.
Both North Carolina and Kentucky have used gradual reductions to give lawmakers time to evaluate revenue collections and spending. North Carolina’s revised schedule also illustrates how legislators can adjust the pace of future cuts when budget forecasts change.
The last thing Wisconsin taxpayers want is a pay cut, and a tax increase is exactly that. It is up to Wisconsin’s voters next week to determine the path for their state in the coming years: Tax cuts and growth, or tax hikes and decline.