Coloradans work hard to make ends meet. Our tax system shouldn’t get in the way of their success. We’re fighting for a fair tax code and a Colorado graduated income tax proposal that supports our schools, childcare, health care, and the future we all deserve.
Tax Fairness
Colorado’s flat tax puts the biggest burden on those who earn the least.
A Colorado graduated income tax helps ensure the wealthiest pay their fair share so everyone can thrive.
Protecting Families
Families are struggling with rising costs across Colorado.
This plan invests in schools, childcare, and healthcare so every family has what they need.
Funding Our Future
Investing in our children and families builds a stronger future.
A graduated income tax makes these critical investments possible.
A Fair Tax Plan That Works for Colorado
The Graduated Income Tax (GIT):
97% pay less
Top 3% making $500K+ pay a little more
Raises ~$2B+ for schools, healthcare & child care
See What This Means for You
Tax Calculator
How Would a Colorado Graduated Income Tax Work for You??
Enter your annual Colorado taxable income to compare the current flat tax system with a Colorado Graduated Income Tax estimate.
Your effective tax rate will be : 4.4%
Current flat tax
$0
4.4%
With GIT
$0
Estimate
$0
97% of Coloradans are expected to pay less under the Graduated Income Tax.
*How is this calculated?
* For individual taxpayers, Colorado taxable income is calculated by subtracting your deductions from your federal adjusted gross income. For 2027, the standard deduction is $15,750 for single filers and $31,500 for married joint filers. Pursuant to the passage of Proposition MM, taxpayers earning more than $300,000 are subject to a maximum deduction of $1000 for single filers and $2000 for joint filers.
For owners of businesses that file as passthroughs (S-Corps, LLCs, etc), the Colorado taxable income calculation should include total annual take-home pay (salary plus share of profit) minus allowable deductions.
For C-corps, the change in annual corporate tax can be calculated by plugging annual Corporate net income into the “Annual income” field above.
Who We Are
Protect Colorado’s Future is a diverse coalition of community, grassroots, and policy organizations working to enact a fairer tax code that enables Colorado to invest in the things families need — education, child care, and health care — creating stronger economic opportunities for all Coloradans.
We are a coalition committed to a fair and thriving Colorado. We support a Colorado graduated income tax proposal designed to reduce taxes for 97% of Coloradans while investing in schools, childcare, healthcare, and communities across the state.
TRANSPARENCY MATTERS
Read Initiative #195.
Ballot Language
Ballot Title Setting Board
2025-2026
The title as designated and fixed by the Board is as follows:
State taxes shall be increased $2.7 billion annually, in order to increase or improve levels of public services, including K-12 public school education, health care, and early child care and education services, by an amendment to the Colorado Constitution and a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes repealing existing law and creating new law to replace the uniform state income tax rate with a graduated income tax structure, and, in connection therewith, amending the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights to eliminate the constitutional requirement for all taxable net income to be taxed at one rate with no added tax on income; establishing various income tax rates based on the amount of taxable income earned by individuals, estates, trusts, and corporations, while maintaining the current 4.4% tax on income from the sale of a principal residence, which will result in the estimated change in income taxes owed by individuals as identified in the following table; and authorizing the state to retain and spend any increased revenue from the new tax structure, as a voter-approved revenue change, to supplement current levels of funding for K-12 public school education, health care, and early child care and education programs:
Initiative 195
Change in Income Taxes Owed by Income Category
| Income Categories | Current Average Income Tax Owed |
Proposed Average Income Tax Owed |
Proposed Change in Average Income Tax Owed if Passed + or – |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 or less | $59 | $50 | -$9 |
| $25,001 – $50,000 | $751 | $632 | -$119 |
| $50,001 – $100,000 | $1,877 | $1,666 | -$210 |
| $100,001 – $200,000 | $4,126 | $3,828 | -$298 |
| $200,001 – $500,000 | $9,344 | $9,019 | -$325 |
| $500,001 – $1,000,000 | $19,288 | $18,963 | -$325 |
| $1,000,001 – $2,000,000 | $29,432 | $34,196 | +$4,764 |
| $2,000,001 – $5,000,000 | $41,196 | $55,110 | +$13,914 |
| Income categories use adjusted gross income reported to the federal Internal Revenue Service. | |||
The ballot title and submission clause as designated and fixed by the Board is as follows:
Shall state taxes be increased $2.7 billion annually, in order to increase or improve levels of public services, including K-12 public school education, health care, and early child care and education services, by an amendment to the Colorado Constitution and a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes repealing existing law and creating new law to replace the uniform state income tax rate with a graduated income tax structure, and, in connection therewith, amending the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights to eliminate the constitutional requirement for all taxable net income to be taxed at one rate with no added tax on income; establishing various income tax rates based on the amount of taxable income earned by individuals, estates, trusts, and corporations, while maintaining the current 4.4% tax on income from the sale of a principal residence, which will result in the estimated change in income taxes owed by individuals as identified in the following table; and authorizing the state to retain and spend any increased revenue from the new tax structure, as a voter-approved revenue change, to supplement current levels of funding for K-12 public school education, health care, and early child care and education programs?
Initiative 195
Change in Income Taxes Owed by Income Category
| Income Categories | Current Average Income Tax Owed |
Proposed Average Income Tax Owed |
Proposed Change in Average Income Tax Owed if Passed + or – |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 or less | $59 | $50 | -$9 |
| $25,001 – $50,000 | $751 | $632 | -$119 |
| $50,001 – $100,000 | $1,877 | $1,666 | -$210 |
| $100,001 – $200,000 | $4,126 | $3,828 | -$298 |
| $200,001 – $500,000 | $9,344 | $9,019 | -$325 |
| $500,001 – $1,000,000 | $19,288 | $18,963 | -$325 |
| $1,000,001 – $2,000,000 | $29,432 | $34,196 | +$4,764 |
| $2,000,001 – $5,000,000 | $41,196 | $55,110 | +$13,914 |
| Income categories use adjusted gross income reported to the federal Internal Revenue Service. | |||
Hearing January 21, 2026
Single subject approved; staff draft amended; titles set (3-0).
The Board finds that the proposed initiative only repeals, in whole or in part, a provision of the state constitution and therefore does not require a 55% majority for passage.
Board members: Theresa Conley, Christy Chase, Kurt Morrison
Hearing adjourned 12:24 PM.
Rehearing February 4, 2026
Motions for rehearing (Fields, Menten, Sopkin, Hancock) denied in their entirety (2-1, Morrison).
Motion for rehearing (proponents) granted to the extent reflected in the change to the title (3-0).
The Board finds that the proposed initiative only repeals, in whole or in part, a provision of the state constitution and therefore does not require a 55% majority for passage.
Board members: Theresa Conley, Christy Chase, Kurt Morrison
Hearing adjourned 12:08 PM.
* Unofficially captioned “Graduated Income Tax” by legislative staff for tracking purposes. This caption is not part of the titles set by the Board.
We believe in tranparency and accountability. Read the full initiative language filed with the State of Colorado.
HELP US GIT IT TO THE BALLOT
Colorado deserves a fair tax system.
We’re working to put a fair tax on the 2026 ballot — and we need you.
- Donate to fund voter outreach and ballot qualification
- Volunteer to collect signatures and talk to neighbors
- Help spread the word
Give what you can. Show up where you can.
Every Coloradan deserves to thrive.
LATEST UPDATES/NEWS
A survey from Global Strategy Group finds that a graduated income tax ballot measure
April 2026 — A survey from Global Strategy Group finds that a graduated income tax ballot measure begins the campaign with majority support and has a clear path to victory, even after voters hear a sustained set of attacks from opponents
Rally Kicks Off Graduated Income Tax Ballot Campaign
DENVER – Two hundred people rallied on the west steps of the Colorado Capitol Tuesday to kick off efforts to collect the 125,000 voter signatures necessary to get a graduated income tax question on the November ballot.
Press Release: PCF Launches 2026 Ballot Measures
Protect Colorado’s Future is advancing a fair tax system for all Coloradans with new ballot initiatives aimed at equity and opportunity.
Opinion: Why Colorado Needs a Graduated Income Tax
A Colorado Sun opinion argues for replacing the state’s flat tax with a graduated income tax that lowers rates for most residents and increases revenue needed for schools, healthcare, and other priorities.
NYT Opinion: Romney Calls to Tax the Rich
Former Senator Mitt Romney urges a bipartisan approach to raising taxes on the wealthy, arguing it’s essential for reducing inequality and stabilizing the national budget. Published in The New York Times.
Opinion: TABOR, Medicaid & the Budget
A Colorado Sun opinion piece argues that Colorado’s longstanding Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) — not Medicaid — is the main driver of the state’s budget challenges and calls for reform to better fund essential services.
Guest Commentary: Why Colorado Must Invest in Child Care and Tax Fairness
Guest Commentary: CSPC’s Mirla Coronado de Low makes the case in The Denver Post for why Colorado must invest in child care — and adopt a fair, graduated income tax.
How Does a Graduated Income Tax Work?
The way a government structures its income tax says a lot about its values and priorities. A regressive structure — for instance, a flat income tax like Colorado’s
TABOR: Restrictive Tax Policy Limits Economic Mobility
Fiscal policy is unusually difficult in Colorado, due to a measure known as the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights or TABOR.
What makes up Colorado’s budget and how has it changed over the years?
Colorado’s budget is a complicated quilt of revenues and expenditures stitched together with constitutional restrictions that dictate its shape and limit its reach.
Graduated Income Tax Ballot Measures Move forward
DENVER, CO — Feb. 4, 2026 — The Colorado Title Board on Wednesday approved eightnversions of a graduated income tax ballot question proposed by Protect Colorado’s Future
Together, we can build a fair Colorado
Every signature, volunteer shift, donation, sign verify, and conversation helps put the graduated income tax on the ballot and invest in the services coloradans rely on.