Budget & Taxes

LB 194 amends Nebraska's documentary stamp tax law to expand exemptions for certain family property transfers. The bill adds exemptions for deeds between spouses, parents and children, and transfers to family-owned corporations, partnerships, or LLCs (when all ownership is held by family members within the fourth degree of kinship) without payment. Transfers must be made in the business entity's name, not the individual's, to qualify for the exemption. This directly affects families and small family-run businesses that move property without monetary exchange.

LB 182 amends Nebraska's Affordable Housing Tax Credit Act and Child Care Tax Credit Act to clarify how tax credits can be used. It allows developers of affordable housing projects to transfer or sell their allocated tax credits to other taxpayers (like investors), and expands permitted uses of child care tax credits beyond their original scope. The bill specifically updates rules for allocating credits to pass-through entities (like partnerships or LLCs) and ensures credits only apply to projects completed after 2018. These changes directly affect affordable housing developers and childcare providers seeking tax credit benefits.

LB 331 proposed replacing Nebraska's existing income, property, sales, and other taxes with a single "consumption tax" on goods and services, effective by 2028. It would have terminated the state income tax, property tax, sales tax, inheritance tax, and related laws by December 2027, while defining taxable items like groceries and education services. The bill aimed to shift the tax burden from income and property to consumption, with specific rules for exemptions and tax calculations. However, the bill was withdrawn on February 13, 2025, and is no longer active. As a withdrawn proposal, it did not become law or affect any taxpayers.

This Nebraska constitutional amendment (LR 10CA) would have required the state to impose a consumption or excise tax on all new goods and services starting January 1, 2028, with only grocery items for off-premises consumption exempt. It would have affected all Nebraskans purchasing new products or services, as the tax would apply broadly except for groceries. The bill was withdrawn on February 13, 2025, and did not advance further. It proposed a constitutional change to mandate this tax structure, which would have been implemented without legislative approval beyond the amendment itself. The proposal was never voted on by the public.