The long-awaited updates to the Truth-in-Taxation (TNT) forms have been issued by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The passage of Senate Bill 2 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) required the forms to undergo substantial changes, including new tax rate calculations, new terminology and new tax rate adjustments. The new forms are intended to bring greater transparency to local government tax rates and budget processes.
The V.G. Young Institute of County Government, Texas Association of Counties and Connie Rose of McCreary, Veselka, Bragg & Allen, P.C. coordinated efforts to educate tax assessor-collectors and staff about the new TNT forms. Overall, approximately 350 people tuned in for the virtual training. The TNT PowerPoint slides can be found here.
While some provisions of SB 2 have implementation dates depending on county population size, all counties are required to use the new forms beginning on Jan. 1, 2021. Additionally, the following provisions are required under SB 2 beginning in 2021:
- The designated officer or employee of a taxing unit must use the tax rate calculation forms prescribed by the comptroller in calculating the no-new-revenue tax rate and the voter-approval tax rate (Tax Code 26.04(d-1)).
- As soon as practicable after the designated officer or employee calculates the no-new-revenue tax rate and the voter-approval tax rate of the taxing unit, the designated officer or employee shall submit the tax rate calculation forms used in calculating the rates to the county tax assessor-collector for each county in which all or part of the territory of the taxing unit is located (Tax Code 26.04(d-3)).
- The governing body of a taxing unit shall include as an appendix to the taxing unit's budget for a fiscal year the tax rate calculation forms used by the designated officer or employee of the taxing unit to calculate the no-new-revenue tax rate and the voter-approval tax rate of the taxing unit for the tax year in which the fiscal year begins (Tax Code 26.04(e-5)).
A spreadsheet summarizing SB 2 implementation dates is available from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The new TNT forms and additional resources can be found here. The comptroller may be contacted by email or by phone at (800) 252-9121.
See our August 2019 newsletter article for all of TAC's Senate Bill 2 resources. For more information, email Katy Estrada.