Return to main Utah Constitution page.
Legislative action that proposed this amendment: HJR23 1979 Regular Session
Disposition: This amendment was not presented to voters for ratification.
Amends article 13 section 2,3
[This proposed amendment from the 1979 Regular Session never appeared before voters for ratification, since it was superceded by SJR6 in the 1980 Budget Session, which voters ultimately did not ratify.]
13:2
All tangible property in the state, not exempt under the laws of the United States, or under this Constitution, shall be taxed in proportion to its value, to be ascertained as provided by law. The property of the state, counties, cities, towns, school districts, municipal corporations and public libraries, lots with the buildings thereon used exclusively for either religious worship or charitable purposes, and places of burial not held or used for private or corporate benefit, shall be exempt from taxation. Tangible personal property present in Utah on January 1, m., held for sale in the ordinary course of business and which constitutes the inventory of any retailer, or wholesaler, manufacturer, or farmer may be deemed for purposes of ad valorem property taxation to be exempted. Livestock raised or held in the state is exempt from ad valorem property taxation. Water rights, ditches, canals, reservoirs, power plants, pumping plants, transmission lines, pipes and flumes owned and used by individuals or corporations for irrigating land within the state owned by such individuals or corporations, or the individual members thereof, shall not be separately taxed so long as they shall be owned and used exclusively for such purposes. Power plants, power transmission lines and other property used for generating and delivering electrical power, a portion of which is used for furnishing power for pumping water for irrigation purposes on lands in the State of Utah, may be exempted from taxation to the extent that such property is used for such purposes. These exemptions shall accrue to the benefit of the users of water so pumped under such regulations as the Legislature may prescribe. The taxes of the indigent poor may be remitted or abated at such times and in such manner as may be provided by law. The Legislature may provide for the exemption from taxation of homes, homesteads, and personal property, not to exceed $2,000 in value for homes, homesteads, and all household furnishings, furniture, and equipment used exclusively by the owner thereof at his place of abode in maintaining a home for himself and family. Property not to exceed $3,000 in value, owned by disabled persons who served in any war in the military service of the United States or of the state of Utah and by the unmarried widows and minor orphans of such disabled persons or of persons who while serving in the military service of the United States or the state of Utah were killed in action or died as a result of such service may be exempted as the Legislature may provide.
The Legislature shall provide by law for an annual tax sufficient, with other sources of revenue to defray the estimated ordinary expenses of the state for each fiscal year. For the purpose of paying the state debt, if any there be, the Legislature shall provide for levying a tax annually, sufficient to pay the annual interest and to pay the principal of such debt, within twenty years from the final passage of the law creating the debt.
13:3
The Legislature shall provide by law a uniform and equal rate of assessment and taxation on all tangible property in the state, according to its value in money, and shall prescribe by law such regulations as shall secure a just valuation for taxation of such property, so that every person and corporation shall pay a tax in proportion to the value of his, her or its tangible property. Land used for agricultural purposes may, as the Legislature prescribes, be assessed according to its value for agricultural use without regard to the value it may have for other purposes. Intangible property may be exempted from taxation as property or it may be taxed in such manner and to such extent as the Legislature may provide. Provided that if intangible property be taxed as property the rate thereof shall not exceed five mills on each dollar of valuation. When exempted from taxation as property, the taxable income therefrom shall be taxed under any tax based on incomes, but when taxed by the state of Utah as property, the income therefrom shall not also be taxed. The Legislature may provide for deductions, exemptions, and/or offsets on any tax based upon income. The personal income tax rates shall be graduated but the maximum rate shall not exceed six per cent of net income. No excise tax rate based upon income shall exceed four per cent of net income. The rate limitations herein contained for taxes based on income and for taxes on intangible property shall be effective until January 1, 1937, and thereafter until changed by law by a vote of the majority of the members elected to each house of the Legislature. All revenue received from taxes on income or from taxes on intangible property shall be allocated to the support of the public school system as defined in Article X, Section 2 of this Constitution.
