Arizona lawmakers are playing a game of Family Feud with no Steve Harvey in sight, unfortunately. 🤪 When asked when they plan on squashing the beef, survey says…well, we’re still waiting for an answer! 🤔⌚
The brawl over switching up AZ’s tax code is starting to feel like a Real Housewives reunion. Someone get Andy Cohen on the line. 📲 Let’s get caught up on the drama (and a bottle of rosé). 👀🍾
Here’s Five Fast Facts on Arizona’s tax tiff:
- 🤼 Backyard Brawl - Arizona lawmakers want to bring the state’s tax code in line with Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The federal law raised the standard deduction and lowered taxes on overtime pay and tips. Several states already updated their own tax rules to match the changes ahead of tax season.
- ✍️ Wish List - Matching state tax rules to federal law is usually a routine snoozefest, but not this year. Republican lawmakers want AZ to fully align with the federal tax changes, which could result in about $441M in tax cuts. Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) prefers a partial update that would reduce the hit to state revenue.
- 🔥 Hot Off the Press - After the bill cleared both chambers, Republican lawmakers held a press conference criticizing Hobbs, saying she didn’t work with them. The AZ Department of Revenue warned the plan could require about $20M and 200 new staff to implement. It would also set the state up to join a federal voucher program that still lacks rules or guidelines.
- 🗣️ He Said, She Said - In November, Hobbs proposed a “Middle Class Tax Cuts Package” that mirrors parts of the federal changes, but leaves out business tax breaks expected to cut state revenue by about $100M a year. Republicans say acting quickly will prevent tax-season confusion. Democrats worry the included $6,000 tax credit for retirees with retirement income could exclude seniors who rely only on Social Security.
- 🎭 The Saga Continues - AZ Republicans pushed through a second bill to align the state’s tax rules. GOP lawmakers say fully matching the federal changes would make tax season less confusing and bring some tax cuts. But, Hobbs crashed their party and vetoed it.
🔥Bottom line: How will this cat fight end? Hopefully with a solution everyone’s happy with. Until then? The girlies stay mad. Wondering if the TrumpRx program can help you save on prescription drugs? We read all the fine print so you don’t have to. Head over to this article for all the details.
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