Recent events have highlighted the consequences of inadequate attention to infrastructure funding. Current funding strategies focus on fuel taxes, transfers from general funds, user fees, toll roads, congestion pricing, and using technology to enhance the fee structure of the current system. This article examines another alternative, a property tax focused on the value of land, known as land tax. A land tax would be economically efficient, in that it would not distort economic decision making. The authors review the feasibility of implementing a land tax and the revenue that could be raised from this tax. They conclude that a land tax is administratively feasible and that it could generate significant revenue to help fund much-needed infrastructure.
Jeffrey I. Chapman
Arizona State University, Phoenix
Gary C. Cornia
Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
Rex L. Facer
Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
Lawrence C. Walters
Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
Key Words: land tax • transportation infrastructure • property tax administration • infrastructure finance