Aerial view of the Louisiana State Capitol building. (Photo credit: Wesley Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)
The chief proponent of Gov. Jeff Landry’s plan to revise Louisiana’s tax structure is touting what he considers some of its more progressive aspects, but some critics say the plan overall would benefit the wealthy at the expense of regular Louisiana taxpayers.
Louisiana’s richest residents would pay a larger share of the state’s income tax under the proposal, state Revenue Secretary Richard Nelson said, but the overall amount would still be less than what they currently pay. It’s among the specifics Nelson laid out Tuesday to the members of the House Ways & Means Committee, where all tax measures originate in the Legislature.
“That’s part of the motivation for making these changes,” Nelson told committee members.
Under Landry’s proposal, the richest 10% of Louisiana taxpayers will pay 61% of all the state’s income tax revenue. They currently pay about 55%, Nelson said. Additionally, the poorest 20% of taxpayers in the state will pay nothing in income tax. That category includes about one-third of Louisiana’s senior citizens, he said.