How Does Tim Goodwin Plan to Reduce Taxes for SD Voters?

Tax relief is one of those issues every politician claims to support and very few actually deliver on. How does Tim Goodwin plan to reduce taxes for South Dakota residents? The answer is specific, modeled, and publicly documented, which already distinguishes it from most legislative positions on the subject. As the November 3rd midterms approach, understanding exactly what he is proposing, and what it would mean for District 30 homeowners, is worth the time.

What Problem Is His Tax Plan Designed to Solve?

The core issue is structural. South Dakota has no personal income tax and no corporate income tax. Its primary domestic revenue sources are property taxes and sales taxes. Property taxes collected statewide in 2021 totaled approximately $1.49 billion per Goodwin's published analysis. Unlike a sales tax, which you pay when you spend, a property tax arrives annually regardless of income. A retiree in Hot Springs who paid off their home in 2005 still faces a growing annual bill every time the county reassesses, even if their income has not changed in a decade.

Compounding this, U.S. housing market appreciation through 2021 to 2023 pushed assessed values significantly higher across South Dakota. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis housing price index, U.S. home values rose approximately 40% from 2020 to 2022. Assessment adjustments lagged that market surge, meaning homeowners in Pennington, Custer, and Fall River counties are still absorbing upward assessment corrections from prices that peaked two to three years ago. 

The annual property tax bill is the most personal expression of that market movement for ordinary homeowners. Follow Goodwin's fiscal analysis at timrgoodwin.com.

What Specifically Is Tim Goodwin Proposing?

He has published a consumption-based replacement model with clear revenue calculations. The core elements:

• Eliminate all residential property taxes statewide

• Replace the lost revenue with a 5.5% increase in the state sales tax

• Every 1% of state sales tax generates approximately $300 million annually

• A 5.5% increase generates roughly $1.65 billion against $1.49 billion in current residential property tax collections

• South Dakota's current state sales tax is 4.5%, producing a combined rate of approximately 9.5-10% under his model

• South Dakota's 13.5 million annual tourists would contribute to the new revenue pool under consumption taxation, distributing the burden beyond resident taxpayers

• The model removes the annual property tax obligation for homeowners regardless of income level, directly protecting fixed-income households

The full proposal is available at Tim R. Goodwin with supporting analysis and response data from constituent feedback.

What Has He Already Done on Tax Relief?

Beyond the long-term consumption model, Goodwin has supported two near-term relief measures. He backed Governor Noem's grocery tax elimination proposal, which he described as necessary inflation-era relief for South Dakota families. He also outlined four options for deploying surplus state revenue and publicly recommended against expanding government programs, instead favoring direct taxpayer relief through reduced assessments or grocery tax elimination. His approach to fiscal policy consistently prioritizes returning money to the people who generated it rather than expanding the scope of government spending.

How to Support Tim Goodwin's Campaign?

Understanding how to support Tim Goodwin's campaign is straightforward. The campaign operates through several accessible channels:

• Financial contributions: Via the PayPal donation link on Tim R. Goodwin

• Email list: Sign up at timrgoodwin.com/contact to receive legislative and campaign updates directly

• Social media: Follow and share content from facebook.com/GoodwinforSD to extend reach across Pennington, Custer, and Fall River counties

• Direct contact: Call 605.390.5324 or email tgoodwin1955@gmail.com with constituent questions or legislative priorities

• ALPR survey participation: Email tim.Goodwin@sdlegislature.gov with a yes or no on the one-plate ALPR bill to contribute to the constituent input process

• Election participation: Vote on November 3rd, register before October 19th, and request absentee ballots before November 2nd at 5pm

Each of these contributes to a campaign that runs on community awareness rather than broadcast advertising.

Why His Tax Plan Matters in a Midterm Year

Midterm elections turn on concrete economic concerns. Property tax bills are as concrete as it gets for homeowners in District 30. Goodwin has put a specific mechanism, a cited revenue figure, and a public proposal on the table. Whether the legislature ultimately adopts his full consumption model or a modified version of it, the fact that a District 30 representative has done the analytical work and made it publicly available reflects the kind of serious fiscal engagement voters deserve from their representative.

His November 2024 re-election with 10,094 votes per Ballotpedia, the highest individual total in the District 30 race, reflects constituent confidence in his approach. Stay current at timrgoodwin.com.

Tim Goodwin: The Tax Plan, the Campaign, and the Work Ahead

How does Tim Goodwin plan to reduce taxes? By replacing a system that punishes ownership with one that taxes consumption. That is the answer, and it comes with a model, a mechanism, and a public record of fiscal work that no other District 30 legislator has matched. Vote November 3rd and support the campaign at Tim R. Goodwin or 605.390.5324.