A new poll shows a growing share of Oklahoma business owners believe state taxation is a challenge for growth and investment with a strong majority supporting efforts to gradually eliminate the personal income tax.

Each year the State Chamber, the Oklahoma Business Roundtable, and the State Chamber Research Foundation collaborate to produce the Business Leaders Poll. The annual survey asks business leaders throughout Oklahoma questions about the state of business in Oklahoma.

According to the 2025 Oklahoma Business Leaders Poll, the economy and taxes were the second- and third-most cited answers given in response to an open-ended question regarding the most pressing issues facing Oklahoma businesses.

The share of poll participants who identified taxes as one of the most important issues facing businesses in Oklahoma today has nearly doubled in the last two years, rising from 6 percent in 2023 to 10 percent today.

The same trend can be seen on a related issue—the number of respondents who say the economy is one of the most important issues facing Oklahoma businesses. In 2023, the poll showed that 9 percent of respondents cited the economy as a top issue. That figure reached 18 percent in the 2025 edition of the poll.

The issue cited by the most respondents was workforce development, but the poll showed concern about that issue has declined significantly over the last two years. In 2023, the poll found 34 percent of respondents cited workforce as one of the most important issues for Oklahoma businesses, but that figure fell to 21 percent in the 2025 poll.

The share of respondents who said taxes are one of their greatest obstacles to profitability and business growth has also surged. In 2024, just 9 percent of respondents said Oklahoma taxes were a major obstacle, but that figure grew to 15 percent in 2025.

Among tax policies, Oklahoma’s personal income tax was identified as the area in need of greatest reform to make Oklahoma competitive on a regional basis with 33 percent of respondents supporting changes to the income tax, a far higher share than the percentage who said taxes on business need reform.

Notably, small business owners often have their profits taxed as personal income.

The poll found that 58 percent of respondents support using growth revenue to gradually reduce the income tax with another 27 percent supportive of immediate elimination of the tax. Only 13 percent of respondents said there is no need to reduce the state’s income tax rate.

That proposal is in line with legislation that has passed both chambers of the Legislature this session.

House Bill 1539, by state Rep. Mark Lepak and state Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, would cut Oklahoma’s 4.75-percent personal income-tax rate by a quarter point each time that net state revenue increases by at least $300 million, continuing the process until the tax is completely repealed.

Oklahoma’s current 4.75 percent personal income tax rate is among the highest in the region.

Texas has no personal income tax while Colorado imposes a 4.4 percent rate. Officials in Arkansas have cut their rate to 3.9 percent. The top rate in Missouri fell to 4.7 percent in January. Louisiana has cut its income-tax rate to 3 percent.

Among bordering states, only Kansas and New Mexico currently have higher personal income-tax rates than Oklahoma—and Kansas officials recently voted to gradually cut their tax to 4 percent.

Data in a recent report from the Tax Foundation indicate Oklahoma government will enjoy more budget stability if it relies more on existing sales tax collections, and five states with no personal income tax also have the same or lower effective property tax rates than Oklahoma.

HB 1539 is currently in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, awaiting consideration of Senate amendments.