History of TABOR Refund Mechanisms

This memorandum provides background information on current and past statutory mechanisms used to refund state revenue in excess of the spending limit established in the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). TABOR allows the state to use “any reasonable method” to distribute refunds. 

The General Assembly has created and repealed various mechanisms to refund the state TABOR surplus. In total, 27 refund mechanisms have existed in statute since the passage of TABOR in 1992.