Bill > S59

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to allow for a graduated income tax in Massachusetts, meaning that individuals with higher incomes would pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than those with lower incomes. Currently, the state constitution has limitations on income tax rates, and this amendment would replace those with new provisions. Specifically, it would allow the General Court (the state legislature) to set tax rates that increase with income, establish at least five different income brackets, and grant exemptions or abatements. However, there are limitations: the tax rate for any bracket cannot increase by more than 0.5% in any two-year period, the highest tax rate cannot exceed 9%, and specific income ranges are defined for the top five tax brackets, with the highest bracket encompassing the top 5% of earners. The Department of Revenue would be responsible for annually setting and publishing the income ranges for each tax bracket.