Vote "YES" for More Jobs, Lower Tax Rates in Louisiana

Louisiana REALTORS • October 21, 2021

Louisiana REALTORS® officially endorses Constitutional Amendment #1 and #2 on November 13th ballot.

Attendees at a recent Louisiana REALTORS® Town Hall meeting overwhelmingly indicated support for Constitutional Amendment #1 and #2 after a presentation by Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives Clay Schexnayder, Chair of the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee Stuart Bishop, and Representative Beau Beaullieu. View the recording of that presentation here. 


Louisiana REALTORS® Board of Directors at the October 6 meeting in Lafayette, LA voted for the association to officially endorse the two proposed constitutional amendments. These two amendments are part of major tax reforms that policy groups and task forces have been discussing for years and now is the time to make these discussions a reality.


In supporting these measures, Louisiana REALTORS® joins countless business groups that have publicly expressed support for the fiscal reform amendments.

  • Constitutional Amendment #1 : Streamline Local Sales Tax Collection

    Louisiana ranks 49th out of 50 states in terms of how we collect sales taxes. That’s because where almost every other state has just one, we have 54 local tax collectors for our 64 parishes, and among them are more than 100 different local tax rates. 


    In-state businesses required to charge local sales tax have to remit to these collectors separately, while out-of-state retailers like Wayfair have one simple portal. 


    The current system is archaic and cumbersome and puts our home-grown businesses at a disadvantage.

  • Constitutional Amendment #2: Simplify Our Tax Code

    Tax Simplification would lower tax rates in exchange for removing the FIT from the State Constitution, and if passed by voters, this amendment triggers a trio of companion bills into effect that together create a simpler system with lower rates, helping Louisiana

    to recruit more jobs here. Specifically, the amendment and accompanying bills:


    • Cap personal income tax at 4.75% - that would be the lowest in the South and fourth lowest in the country (amendment)
    • Remove current individual income tax brackets from the State Constitution, allowing the Legislature to lower rates (amendment)
    • Remove the FIT requirement from Louisiana’s Constitution (amendment)
    • Lower rates in the 3 brackets for personal income tax, lowering the highest from 6% to 4.25% (HB278)
    • Collapses corporate tax brackets from 5 to 3, capping the highest at 7.5% (HB 292)
    • Eliminate the Corporate Franchise Tax on the first $300,000 of taxable capital, lowers the tax from $3 to $2.75 per thousand on capital greater than $300,000 (SB 161)

    In an analysis of the plan, the Washington DC-based Tax Foundation predicted that these tax reform measures will finally move Louisiana out of the bottom ten states in business tax climate rankings.

View Sample Ballot Language

The proposed amendments do not impose or raise new or existing taxes but seek to put us in line with how almost all other states collect sales taxes and stabilize our state income tax rates and budget. 


Both amendments will help all businesses and individuals as it relates to sales tax collections and personal & corporate income tax rates being lowered.  Louisiana REALTORS encourages you to learn more facts about these amendments by visiting untangleourtaxes.com or by viewing the Public Affairs Research Council 2021 Guide to Constitutional Amendments.
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Constitutional Amendment Positions for November 3 Election

By Louisiana REALTORS® • October 9, 2026
Homeownership Is on Louisiana's November Ballot

Cookbook for the REALTORS® Relief Foundation On Sale Now!

By Louisiana REALTORS® • October 8, 2026
After months of gathering recipes from across our Louisiana REALTORS® family, the cookbook is ready! This 200+ page collection is filled with Louisiana flavor, REALTOR® heart and recipes contributed by our members. We launched sales of the cookbook at the Fall Governance Meetings. You can now purchase your copy for $30 directly from the printer and shipped to you! Additionally, we will have copies available at the RRF booth at NXT . After NXT, we will carry a limited stock at the LR office for you to purchase through the LR Merch Shop and pick-up from the office or at an LR event, as stock is available. Even better, $15 from every cookbook sold will be donated to the REALTORS® Relief Foundation (RRF) to help provide housing-related assistance to REALTORS® and their families following disasters. Pick up a copy for yourself, grab one as a gift and enjoy a taste of Louisiana while supporting a great cause!

Residential Appraisal Update: UAD 3.6 and the Temporary Policy Exception

By Louisiana REALTORS® • October 7, 2026
A major change to residential appraisal reporting is approaching, but a recently announced temporary policy exception is creating some confusion about what happens on November 2. Here is what REALTORS® need to know. Beginning November 2, 2026, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will require the new Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) 3.6 for new appraisal reports initially submitted to the Uniform Collateral Data Portal (UCDP), unless the lender has received a temporary policy exception. The November 2 implementation date has not been postponed. What is the UAD 3.6 Appraisal Report? UAD 3.6 replaces the familiar legacy appraisal forms (used for the last 25 years) with a new, more data-driven appraisal report that collects much more detailed property information. For REALTORS® and consumers, the transition could mean a more detailed property inspection, additional questions about the property and transaction, and potentially longer appraisal and review times as appraisers, lenders, appraisal management companies, and other industry participants adjust to the new system. What changed? Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac recently announced a temporary policy exception for eligible lenders that need additional time to complete their transition to UAD 3.6. Lenders receiving the exception may continue submitting appraisals using the current legacy UAD 2.6 format through May 19, 2027 . Beginning May 20, 2027 , new appraisal submissions to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must use UAD 3.6. What does this mean for REALTORS®? For several months, REALTORS® may encounter both the current appraisal format and the new UAD 3.6 appraisal report. The appraisal format is determined by the lender's assignment requirements. REALTORS® and consumers do not need to determine which format should be used. It is also important to understand that an appraiser completing a legacy-format appraisal during this period should not automatically be assumed to be unprepared for UAD 3.6. An appraiser who is fully UAD 3.6 ready may still be instructed by a lender to complete an assignment using the legacy format. How can REALTORS® help? Good communication and accurate property information will become even more important. REALTORS® can help the appraisal process by providing accurate and specific information concerning: Recent renovations and improvements Property features and amenities Sales concessions and financing terms Known property conditions or unique characteristics Relevant information about the transaction Buyers should also be encouraged to discuss appraisal requirements and anticipated timelines with their lender early in the transaction. What about FHA, VA and USDA? The November 2 requirement discussed above applies to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conventional lending. FHA, VA and USDA have their own appraisal policies and implementation schedules. Their transition to UAD 3.6 should not be assumed to follow the same November 2 timeline unless announced by the respective agency. The Bottom Line November 2 remains an important date for UAD 3.6. The temporary exception does not cancel or postpone the transition. Instead, it allows eligible lenders additional time to complete their transition. As a result, REALTORS® should expect a period when both legacy and UAD 3.6 appraisal reports are being used. Louisiana REALTORS® will continue monitoring the transition and providing members with updates as additional guidance becomes available. Louisiana REALTORS® is also planning a follow-up webinar to discuss the latest UAD 3.6 developments, what REALTORS® are seeing in transactions, and what these changes mean for agents and their clients.
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