Colorado Establish a Gradual Income Tax Amendment (2026)
| Colorado Establish a Gradual Income Tax Amendment | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Income taxes |
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| Status Cleared for signature gathering |
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| Type Initiated state statute |
Origin |
The Colorado Establish a Gradual Income Tax Amendment may appear on the ballot in Colorado as an initiated state statute on November 3, 2026.
The ballot initiative would establish a gradual income tax with the following tiers:[1]
- For federal taxable income less than or equal to $25,000, the tax is 3.70%.
- For federal taxable income greater than $25,000 and less than or equal to $100,000, the tax would be:
- 3.70% on the amount up to $25,000;
- 4.20% on the amount greater than $25,000 up to $100,000; and
- 4.40% on the amount greater than $100,000.
- For federal taxable income greater than $500,000, but less than or equal to $750,000, the tax would be:
- 3.70% on the amount up to $25,000;
- 4.20% on the amount greater than $25,000 up to $100,000;
- 4.40% on the amount greater than $100,000 up to $500,000; and
- 7.40% on the amount greater than $500,000.
- For federal taxable income greater than $750,000, but less than or equal to $1 million, the tax would be:
- 3.70% on the amount up to $25,000;
- 4.20% on the amount greater than $25,000 up to $100,000;
- 4.40% on the amount greater than $100,000 up to $500,000;
- 7.40% on the amount greater than $500,000; and
- 7.90% on the amount over $750,000.
- For federal taxable income greater than $1 million, the tax would be:
- 3.70% on the amount up to $25,000;
- 4.20% on the amount greater than $25,000 up to $100,000;
- 4.40% on the amount greater than $100,000 up to $500,000;
- 7.40% on the amount greater than $500,000;
- 7.90% on the amount over $750,000; and
- 8.40% on the amount greater than $1 million.
Text of measure
Full text
The full text is available here.
Path to the ballot
The state process
In Colorado, the number of signatures required to qualify an initiated state statute for the ballot is equal to 5 percent of the total number of votes cast for the office of Colorado secretary of state in the preceding general election. State law provides that petitioners have six months to collect signatures after the ballot language and title are finalized. State statutes require a completed signature petition to be filed three months and three weeks before the election at which the measure would appear on the ballot. The Constitution, however, states that the petition must be filed three months before the election at which the measure would appear. The secretary of state generally lists a date that is three months before the election as the filing deadline.
The requirements to get an initiated state statute certified for the 2026 ballot:
The secretary of state is responsible for signature verification. Verification is conducted through a review of petitions regarding correct form and then a 5 percent random sampling verification. If the sampling projects between 90 percent and 110 percent of required valid signatures, a full check of all signatures is required. If the sampling projects more than 110 percent of the required signatures, the initiative is certified. If less than 90 percent, the initiative fails.
Details about this initiative
The following is the timeline of the initiative:[1]
- January 9, 2026: The initiative was filed by Chris deGruy Kennedy and Kiyana Newell.
- February 23, 2026: The initiative was cleared for signature gathering, with signatures due by August 3, 2026.
See also
View other measures certified for the 2026 ballot across the U.S. and in Colorado.
Explore Colorado's ballot measure history, including citizen-initiated ballot measures.
Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.
External links
Footnotes
