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Gov. Mike Braun signs 'historic' property tax relief bill into law, critics call it a 'lose-lose'

Gov. Mike Braun signed SEA 1, the major property tax reform legislation, into law on April 15, 2025.
Courtesy of the governor's office
Gov. Mike Braun signed SEA 1, the major property tax reform legislation, into law on April 15, 2025.

Indiana's major property tax reform package is now law, as Gov. Mike Braun signed the measure Tuesday.

In a statement on social media, Braun called the legislation "historic tax relief" that benefits nearly every Hoosier.

Beginning next year, Senate Enrolled Act 1 creates a new property tax credit of 10 percent of a homeowner's bill, up to $300. It adds additional credits for older Hoosiers and veterans. It eventually exempts most businesses from the business personal property tax, a tax on equipment. And it slightly changes how farmland is assessed, to help bring down farmers' property taxes.

READ MORE: Senate gives final approval to major property tax reform bill, sends it to governor
 

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But in a statement, Rep. Greg Porter (D-Indianapolis) said all that will cost local governments and schools up to $1.8 billion in funding over just the next three years.

To help balance that, the measure gives locals new income tax tools. And that prompted Porter to call the bill a "lose-lose" that tries to shift the blame for taxes to local communities.
 

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at  bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5 .

Brandon Smith has covered the Statehouse for Indiana Public Broadcasting for more than a decade, spanning three governors and a dozen legislative sessions. He's also the host of Indiana Week in Review, a weekly political and policy discussion program seen and heard across the state.
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