Policy Areas
By bringing together the organization's expertise in Fiscal Practices, State Tax, Property Tax and School Finance, TTARA is able to provide its members the most comprehensive legislative information on all aspects of state fiscal policy. During legislative sessions, regular and special, TTARA members take part in regular briefing sessions to discuss actions as they are happening. TTARA staff members prepare detailed summaries and analyses of all major legislation and prepare analytical reports bringing together the separate parts of the fiscal picture. Briefing materials and summaries are made available to TTARA members on a real time basis through the Members Only section of this site.
The property tax system in Texas consists of a large number of local appraisal and taxing jurisdictions which operate under statutes and regulations established by the state. TTARA works closely with state legislators and administrators to establish procedures which protect taxpayer's rights, regardless of the type of property they own or the location of the property. TTARA staff and members review all legislation relating to the property tax system and carefully monitor state oversight of the local property tax system. TTARA has led the business advocacy for improvements in administrative procedures for both the appraisal of property and "truth-in-taxation" in the levying of taxes. TTARA is recognized as the leading voice of business property taxpayers in the state and its members and staff serve on numerous advisory committees and commissions in Texas.
TTARA was the first business organization to recognize the need to monitor the relationship between local school property tax levies and the funding formulas used to distribute money to school districts. TTARA maintains a consistent focus of school finance policies of the state because of the significant impact they have on the tax burdens our members face in different districts. Working closely with our property tax specialists, TTARA monitors the legal and legislative developments in school finance, and keeps our members current on how those developments may affect them. TTARA's work on school finance is unique among business organizations, and has enabled our membership to have tremendous impact on policy decisions in this important area.
TTARA is widely recognized as the premier tax policy group in Texas. For more than 50 years, TTARA and the TTARA Research Foundation have worked with Texas business and political leaders to encourage tax policies that are fair and equitable to all. TTARA staff and members closely follow Texas tax policies at both the legislative and executive levels. Every legislative proposal affecting the state's tax system is reviewed and measured against clearly stated tax principles, and improvements are advocated whenever necessary. TTARA continues its involvement with tax policies through the process of developing rules and regulations to administer taxes. No organization in Texas has had as great an impact on the development of tax policy in Texas as has TTARA.