Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - As politicians grapple between lower taxes and increased government programs, the question of who really bears the tax burden remains. University of Wisconsin-Platteville professor John Ifediora is going to help the state officials find out.

Ifediora, chair of the UWP Department of Economics, has been appointed to a six-member panel of experts to advise the Wisconsin Department of Revenue on the appropriate methodology for a statewide tax incidence study.

"The state would like to conduct impact studies to find out who actually carries the tax burden. We want to know who is carrying the weight of these government programs," Ifediora said.

Wisconsin is seen around the nation as a high-tax state, a label that may impede business from moving in state, and the study could help form new tax laws. Ifediora said that an impact study like this hasn't been done in 25 years.

"Now they are doing a new one, and our job now is to advise them on the appropriate methods of investigation, the right tools to use," he said.

The study has already begun and may take up to two years to complete. Traditionally, a progressive tax scale calls on the wealthy to pay a larger percent of taxes than the lower or middle classes.

"It becomes problematic if it is regressive, where the poor or middle-class are bearing more of the burden," Ifediora said. "State governments want to know for sure if their taxes are overly burdensome to those that can least afford it."

Ifediora was pleased to be named to the panel, and said the appointment reflects well on UWP and the economics program.

"It shows that people outside the university recognize our talents," he said.