changes, confusing rules that were inconsistently applied and painfully slow refunds when they overpaid their taxes.” The Taxpayer First Project includes eight areas of reform: • Streamline and modernize tax administration • Clearly communicate policy through public rulemaking rather than internal directives • End unfair retroactive policy changes • Improve the administrative hearings process • Expedite refunds owed to taxpayers • Improve audit operations through modern technology • Ensure a transparent and fair settlement process • Decentralize case resolutions For businesses that regularly interact with the Comptroller’s Office, the practical implications could be significant. Clearer rules can make it easier to determine how taxes should be collected and reported, while more predictable audit, hearing and settlement processes could reduce the uncertainty and administrative burden associated with resolving tax disputes. Huffines has also begun reorganizing the Comptroller’s Office around those priorities. He launched a comprehensive performance review shortly after taking office to identify inefficiencies, evaluate business processes and vendor contracts, and look for opportunities to improve operations using private-sector best practices. In September, he announced a new senior leadership team that includes business leaders, tax attorneys, investigators and career public servants. Huffines said the team shares his goal of running the agency with a private-sector mindset while fighting fraud, waste and abuse. LISTENING TO TEXAS BUSINESSES Huffines’ early actions also suggest that he intends to use input from businesses to shape tax policy. In September, he hosted a roundtable with small-business owners, restaurant operators and physicians to hear how the state’s interpretation of its data-processing tax was affecting their businesses. Participants described the impact of taxes applied to fees paid to online marketplaces and delivery platforms. The meeting was followed by a Sept. 30 executive order directing the Comptroller’s Office to remove certain marketplace and platform fees from the definition of taxable data-processing services. The change affects fees associated with online marketplaces, food delivery, short-term lodging, ride-hailing and other services. The episode provides an early example of the approach Huffines has outlined for his administration: listen to businesses, review how a tax rule is applied and make changes when he believes the policy imposes an unfair burden. That philosophy could be particularly relevant to Texas’ business community as the Comptroller’s Office continues to review its tax administration practices. For industries such as automotive retail, where businesses routinely interact with state tax and registration systems, the way those rules are interpreted and administered can have a meaningful effect on operations. A FOCUS ON TAXES, EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH Huffines has also made property tax relief a priority since taking office. He has argued that strong state and local revenues create opportunities for governments to reduce property tax burdens and has continued to call for reforms to make Texas more affordable for residents and businesses. Meanwhile, the state’s overall tax collections remain strong. Texas collected $88.2 billion in taxes across all funds during fiscal year 2026, an increase of 4.8% over the previous year. Sales tax collections reached $52.2 billion, up 6.5%, while motor vehicle sales and rental tax collections increased 5.2% to $7.5 billion. Those numbers underscore the scale of the comptroller’s responsibilities — and the importance of how the office manages its relationship with the businesses that generate much of the state’s revenue. For Huffines, the early months of his tenure have centered on a straightforward premise: Government should make it easier, rather than harder, for Texans to comply with the law and operate their businesses. With his first months in office focused on modernizing the Comptroller’s Office, improving tax administration and advocating for taxpayer relief, Huffines has laid out an agenda centered on efficiency, consistency and accountability. Voters will decide in November whether he will continue that work as Texas comptroller for a full term. 17 DEALERS’ CHOICE
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