National Taxpayers Union

National Taxpayers Union (NTU) is a taxpayer advocacy organization. It was founded in 1969 by James Dale Davidson, and has as its president Duane Parde. NTU publishes a ballot guide that focuses on how ballot measures will impact taxpayers in different states, and these explanations are posted on some of ballotpedia's articles.

Additionally, NTU has a taxpayer blog. NTU also manages a coalition of organizations devoted to transparency in state spending, and sponsors the Show Me the Spending portal on Sunshine Review.

Ballot guides

Prior to election season, staff at NTU spend several months researching and analyzing the ballot measures slated to appear across the nation. The study focuses only on ballot measures with taxpayer impact, and assesses how each measure would impact taxpayers. Such guides prove particularly helpful to taxpayers as they prepare to vote: the language of some measures may be confusing, and measures' titles can bias the voter or overlook key components of the measure. NTU's ballot guides note that "This guide is for informational purposes only; it is not intended to provide endorsements or recommendations to voters." According to a press release, NTU's 2008 study

...identified 106 ballot questions in 34 states that would affect taxpayers. Measures that could lower taxes or control government include:

• Massachusetts' Question 1, which would repeal the state individual income tax by 2010;
• North Dakota's Statutory Measure No. 2, which would lower the state corporate income tax by 15 percent and cut the state personal income tax in half;
• Arizona's Proposition 105, which would require a majority of electors to pass tax- or spending-hike plans; and
• South Dakota's Initiated Measure 10, which would prohibit taxpayer funds from being used for lobbying and create an online state spending database.

To see NTU's ballot guides, view the following:

• General Election Guide 2008, the Taxpayer's Perspective
• 2007 Guide, the Taxpayer's Perspective

Obstacles to NTU's 2008 ballot guide

The National Taxpayers Union seeks to inform its members in every state about how ballot measures would impact them as taxpayers. Those attempts have been temporarily foiled in Florida, however, since that state has election laws that would require NTU to disclose private information about its 362,000 plus members if NTU were to disseminate information about Florida's ballot measures. On October 8th, 2008, the National Taxpayers Union began legal action to seek suspension of these laws, which violate First Amendment rights to freedom of speech. The Institute for Justice is representing NTU and other organizations in this legal action. Read more about the lawsuit from NTU's press release.

Ballot Results

The National Taxpayers Union also provides post-election analysis on the results of fiscal ballot measures.

• Election 2008 Results: How Taxpayers Fared at the Ballot Box
• Election 2007 Results: How Taxpayers Fared at the Ballot Box

Policy positions

The group is best known for its work to enact constitutional limits on government taxes, spending and debt. It played a major role in passage of Federal income tax indexing, so inflation no longer bumps taxpayers into higher brackets. It also played a major role in passage of "Taxpayer Bill of Rights" laws that help to safeguard against IRS abuses and legislation protecting innocent spouses from having to pay tax debts. NTU supports transparency on a statewide level, and sponsors the Show Me the Spending portal on Sunshine Review.

NTU favors the flat tax and the FairTax for the United States as opposed to the current income tax system now in use.

Supported ballot measures

• Maine Auto Excise Tax Repeal, Question 2 (2009)
• Maine Tax Relief Initiative, Question 4 (2009) (TABOR 2)
  • Maine 4 Taxpayers - campaign website in support of Question 4

External links

• National Taxpayers Union website
• Guide to 2009 Ballot Measures
• Guide to 2008 Ballot Measures
• Guide to 2007 Ballot Measures
• Guide to 2006 Ballot Measures