Colorado ballot measure · November 3, 2026

Colorado Amendment 87, explained

Graduated state income tax. A ballot measure is a yes-or-no question put directly to voters — no candidate is involved, and the wording on the ballot is the wording that becomes law. This page shows that wording first, then what it actually changes.

The official wording

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? [Table: Change in Income Taxes Owed by Income Category. Current average / proposed average / change: $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.]

This is what appears on the ballot. Everything below explains it.

What it actually means

Replaces Colorado's flat 4.4% income tax with six brackets from 3.7% to 8.4%, starting in 2027. Taxable income under about $500,000 would owe slightly less, up to $325 a year, and income above that would owe more. The added revenue, about $2 billion a year, must go to K-12 schools, health care and early childhood programs and would be exempt from the TABOR revenue limit.

If you vote YES

The constitutional requirement for a single income tax rate would be removed, and taxable income would be taxed at 3.7% up to $25,000, 4.2% to $100,000, 4.4% to $500,000, 7.4% to $750,000, 7.9% to $1 million, and 8.4% above $1 million; income from selling a principal residence would stay at 4.4%.
The brackets would not be adjusted for inflation, so more income would fall into higher brackets over time.
Taxpayers with Colorado taxable income under $510,834 would owe less, by up to $325; those above would owe more, averaging $26,085 more for people with federal adjusted gross income of $1 million or more.
State revenue would rise by an estimated $958 million in 2026-27 and $1.97 billion in 2027-28, deposited in a new account that must add to, not replace, funding for K-12 education, health care and early childhood care and education, with an audited annual report.
The extra revenue would be exempt from TABOR, and existing TABOR refunds would not change.

If you vote NO

Colorado would keep its flat 4.4% income tax on individuals and businesses, required by the constitution since TABOR.
School, health care and early childhood funding would continue to depend on the existing budget and revenue under the TABOR limit.

The numbers that matter

New revenue, 2026-27 (half year): $958.4 million
New revenue, 2027-28: $1.972 billion (maximum $2.7 billion)
Top rate: 8.4% on taxable income over $1 million
Maximum tax cut: $325 per taxpayer
Vote needed: Simple majority

Why supporters say YES

The measure cuts taxes for 97% of taxpayers, including most households and small businesses, and raises them only for top earners who can afford it, distributing the tax burden according to ability to pay.
— Colorado Blue Book argument for Amendment 87 (Legislative Council Staff)
Schools and health care need more money, with Medicaid cuts increasingly likely under federal changes; the federal government and 27 states already use graduated income taxes.
— Colorado Blue Book argument for Amendment 87 (Legislative Council Staff)

Why opponents say NO

A multibillion-dollar tax increase on higher incomes would make Colorado less competitive and could push employers and high earners out of state, costing jobs at all income levels; brackets not tied to inflation would reach more taxpayers each year.
— Colorado Blue Book argument against Amendment 87 (Legislative Council Staff)
The flat tax guaranteed by TABOR is fair and predictable; the state should better prioritise the tens of billions it already collects rather than permanently expand government.
— Colorado Blue Book argument against Amendment 87 (Legislative Council Staff)

What’s genuinely uncertain

Proposition 136 on the same ballot caps income tax rates at 4.4%. If both pass, the Blue Book says the outcome is unclear and the Legislature or a court would have to resolve the conflict; generally the measure with more votes prevails on conflicting provisions.
Actual revenue could differ from the estimate depending on the economy and how high earners respond; the $2.7 billion in the ballot title is a maximum based on possible forecast error.
How the money is divided among schools, health care and early childhood programs would be decided by the Legislature.
The measure is backed by the Protecting Colorado's Future coalition, according to Colorado Newsline; Proposition 136 is sponsored by Advance Colorado.

The bottom line

About $2 billion a year more for schools, health care and child care with small cuts for most taxpayers, against much higher taxes on top earners and the risk some leave the state.

One neutral sentence describing the tradeoff — not a recommendation.

Sources:leg.colorado.gov coloradosos.gov coloradonewsline.com

Checking it against the official text

The Colorado Secretary of State publishes the certified measures and, in most states, an official voter guide with fiscal notes. That is the authoritative version. Everything here is an explanation of it, not a substitute for it.

Confirm this with the official source

Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Colorado Secretary of State.

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