Recent Articles

Gross Production Taxes

Gross production taxes, or severance taxes, are value-based taxes levied at a basic rate of 7 percent upon the production of oil and gas in Oklahoma. Under legislation approved in the 2017 special session (HB 1010xx), oil and gas from… Read more [More...]

Have Oklahoma gaming revenues peaked?

Ten years after Oklahoma voters approved gaming compacts with Native American tribes and racetrack gaming, the state is collecting over $140 million annually as its share of gaming revenues. However, years of growth in gaming revenue have now ended, which… Read more [More...]

Sales Tax Relief Credit

The Sales Tax Relief Credit is an income tax credit that provides a rebate of $40 per household member to households with incomes at or below the following levels: $50,000 per year for filers who are elderly, have a physical… Read more [More...]

Quality Jobs Program

The Quality Jobs program is a state tax incentive program, created in 1993, that provides a quarterly cash payment to qualified companies of up to 5 percent of new taxable payroll. The incentive targets manufacturers and certain other industries that… Read more [More...]

Investment/New Jobs Tax Credit

The Investment/New Job tax credit is a credit allowed on Oklahoma income tax. The credit can be claimed either on an investment in depreciable property or on the addition of full-time-equivalent employees engaged in manufacturing, processing, or aircraft maintenance. The… Read more [More...]

Four takeaways from the Governor’s budget

On Monday, Governor Mary Fallin delivered her State of the State address and  FY 2016 Executive Budget. Her speech emphasized the need to address hurdles in the areas of education, health, and criminal justice that are impeding the state’s progress.… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma’s Budget Outlook: Confronting the Fiscal Gap (State Budget Summit 2015)

Presentation by OK Policy Executive Director David Blatt to the 2015 State Budget Summit, January 29, 2015  Download the presentation (PDF)  Oklahoma’s Budget Outlook: Confronting the Fiscal Gap by dblattok… Read more [More...]

Shell Bill

A shell bill is a bill that is introduced at the beginning of the legislative session with little or no substantive language. Shell bills are intended to serve as placeholders for legislative proposals to be filled in later. Shell bills… Read more [More...]

Budget road certain to be rocky

As we look ahead to next year’s state budget, one thing is for certain: it’s going to be a very rocky ride. Last month, the Board of Equalization certified $298 million less revenue for next year’s budget than was appropriated… Read more [More...]

State Aid/State Aid Formula

State aid represents the funds that are appropriated by the State Legislature for school districts, and distributed by the State Department of Education through the State Aid Formula.  State aid is based on three categories: foundation aid, incentive aid, and… Read more [More...]