According To Grok, Oklahoma’s Tax Credits Are Not, “publicly available in a straightforward way”

As many of you know, I’ve been hammering away for years about the massive number of tax credits/incentives our Oklahoma legislature is giving away so we can become a “Top 10 State” – whatever the heck that means. I’m not really sure, frankly, and according to the ways in which Governor Stitt is incentivizing businesses, it would be very hard to determine.

Look at Canoo, for example, and the Denmark deal for ‘green’ energy? How did Canoo’s bankruptcy help Oklahomans? How are deals brokered with other countries really going to help Oklahoma businesses, or help Oklahomans afford to be able to buy things from Oklahoma businesses to keep them going?

Recently, I decided to try and decipher all the tax incentives Oklahoma actually offers, so I started doing some basic internet searches. I always ended up back at the Oklahoma Commerce Department. On the website they do have a page for Business Incentives. On this page, you’ll actually find – make sure you’re sitting down – a SIXTY PAGE booklet that describes all the tax credits Oklahoma provides select businesses.

I say “select” businesses because do not forget – tax incentives don’t help ALL Oklahoma businesses, only SOME businesses – only those businesses that the Governor and his team ‘select’. And also don’t forget – the government only has the money they take out of our pockets – We The People are its only source of funding.

Because I think you might be interested, I’ve uploaded the booklet below so you can see it for yourself. There are SIXTY-SEVEN ways in which our Oklahoma government STEALS money from “We The People” and then redistributes it to ‘select/preferred’ businesses. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been offered even ONE way to get out of paying my income or the tax on the home I’ve paid for but the government could take if I don’t provide them a yearly check (aka property tax/ad valorem taxes). I guess I’m not a ‘select/preferred’ citizen.

So now you have an idea of how many tax incentives Oklahoma has for private businesses.

How much money would you say we spend on those tax incentives? Well…here comes GROK.

I’m a writer/researcher. I don’t like data centers and I don’t love the idea of AI, HOWEVER, it certainly does come in handy when search results are not forthcoming in a reasonable amount of time. Consequently, I asked GROK today, “What is the amount of money paid by the state of Oklahoma in tax incentives in 2024?” I’m posting GROK’s answer below.

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Researching tax incentives

• I’m looking into the user’s request about Oklahoma’s tax incentives in 2024. It’s a specific figure, so I’ll check official state sources or financial reports first.

Searching for “total tax incentives paid by Oklahoma in 2024”

What Is The Oklahoma State Income Tax In 2025?

• The search shows Oklahoma offers various incentives like the Quality Jobs Program and film tax credits. Still, there’s no single total for all incentives paid in 2024.
• It seems the state doesn’t publish a unified report summing up all incentives for that year. That explains why I can’t find a direct figure.
• I’m thinking I need to dig deeper, maybe checking annual reports from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce or Tax Commission for more details.

Browsing okcommerce.gov for “total tax incentives paid in 2024”

• The Oklahoma Department of Commerce website doesn’t have the info on their homepage. I’ll try searching for a specific report or section next.
• Just found a document called “2024-OKLAHOMA-BUSINESS-INCENTIVES-AND-TAX-GUIDE.pdf” that might help. Let’s check if it has the total for tax incentives paid in 2024.

Browsing okcommerce.gov for “total tax incentives paid in 2024”

• Hmm, the PDF doesn’t directly provide the total tax incentives paid in 2024 either. It seems to be a guide on available incentives rather than a report on expenditures.
• From the web search, budget documents mention FY24 totals, like $12.8 billion, but that’s the overall budget, not tax incentives House Approves.
• Another result talks about grocery tax elimination, reducing revenue by $418 million annually, but that’s a cut, not the total incentives paid Fiscal Year 2025.
• The Oklahoma Tax Commission has publications, but no “2024 tax incentives report” is listed. Still, there’s a “2024 Summary of Tax Legislation” that might have details on incentive changes.

Browsing oklahoma.gov for “2024 Summary of Tax Legislation”

• The browse result shows COPO documents for 2024, but no specific “2024 Summary of Tax Legislation” is listed in the provided content.

Searching for “Oklahoma Tax Commission 2024 Summary of Tax Legislation”

• From the fifth web search, there’s a document titled “2024LegislativeUpdate.pdf” on the Oklahoma Tax Commission’s site. It might be the summary we’re after.

Browsing oklahoma.gov for “total tax incentives paid in 2024”

• The “2024 Legislative Update” mentions the Parental Choice Tax Credit Act, but no total for 2024 tax incentives is given. It does say the OTC must publish monthly updates on payments claimed each year, though.
• I’ve exhausted several avenues and can’t find a single figure for Oklahoma’s total tax incentives paid in 2024. I think it’s safe to say this info isn’t publicly available in a straightforward way.

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And so, there you go. Oklahomans have no idea how much of their hard-earned dollars are going to fund business incentives in the state.

We do know, however, that Governor Stitt AND A WHOLE LOT OF HIS STAFF went to PARIS for the Paris airshow this year where they announced three new business deals; Kratos Defense and Security Solutions (I wrote about the 1.7 million dollars Oklahoma has given this HUGE publicly-traded defense giant, you should check it out), Dawn Aerospace (which is apparently working out a deal with Oklahoma Commerce and the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA), but Subsidy tracker has no idea what and it’s not found anywhere for public eyes according to GROK) and MST Manufacturing (which has so far received apparent COVID bailout dollars in the amount of $130,000, but doesn’t appear to be taking tax dollars for this new venture).

But it doesn’t stop there, my friend and amazing researcher herself, Nancy McDaniel collected the number of pieces of tax incentive legislation that were brought to the capitol this year. The list is SHOCKING. The ones below PASSED this last session:

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SB44 (2025) Rader/Fetgatter – SALES TAX EXEMPTIONS to contractors with a tax exempt entity.

SB119 (2025) Green/Archer – REBATES for hydrogen industry.

SB234 (2025) Rader/Lepak – 50% TAX CREDIT for remodeling old buildings for rentals.

SB235 (2025) Pugh/Kerbs – Grow Your Own Educator GRANT program.

SB239 (2025) Wingard – This bill TRIED to repeal Oklahoma statute O.S. 68 (2021) Section 2357.32A which relates to TAX CREDITS on the sale of electricity generated by zero-emission facilities. There were two years remaining. The Senate Revenue and tax committee voted 5 to 5, a tie, therefore considered the measure as failed and the TAX CREDITS continue for 2 more years.

SB249 (2025) Thompson, K/Townley – Extends the expiration date for TAX INCENTIVES provided by the Oklahoma Tourism Development Act to January 1, 2032.

SB287 (2025) Pugh/Miller -TAX CREDITS for aerospace industry.

SB324 (2025) Thompson, K/Hill – TAX CREDITS for research and development with no specific industry named.

SB469 (2025) Boles/Woods – Oklahoma Emission Reduction Technology REBATE Program.

SB578 (2025) Coleman/Kelley – Quality Events Act – Extends GRANTS for 5 MORE years.

SB663 (2025) Pugh/Hill – The Workforce Coordination Revolving Fund may be used to create a workforce data integration system as well as provide GRANTS for critical workforce needs.

SB687 (2025) Hall/Caldwell, T – Broadband SALES TAX REBATE PROGRAM.

SB688 (2025) Hall/Hilbert – EXEMPTIONS OF AD VALORUM TAXES for payroll for manufacturing aerospace equipment.

SB713 (2025) Jech/Newton – TAX INCREASE FOR THE PEOPLE via bonds. A county can issue revenue bonds to purchase light mitigating technology for EXISTING windmills that do not currently have the technology. (If the windmill private companies are to pay for NEW wind turbines to have these lights, then they should also pay for THEIR EXISTING wind turbines to have them NOT tax the people through bonds).

SB987 (2025) Thompson, K/Osburn – Creates the Oklahoma Department of Commerce Board consisting of 9 voting members. The board must meet within 60 days of its creation, may create working groups to help carry out its responsibilities, and may accept GIFTS, GRANTS and DONATIONS from NON-GOVERNMENTAL SOURCES. (ARE THESE FROM LOBBYISTS???)

SB998 (2025) Green/Caldwell, T – Allows a utility to start recovering work-in-progress expenses prior to the commercial operation of a new, or newly expanded, natural gas facility. The Commission is required to permit a SPECIAL RATE for the recovery of such expenses. (the customers get screwed again with utility rate increases).

SB1150 (2025) Hall/Caldwell, T – Appropriates $15,000,000.00 from the PREP Fund to the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics for the construction or upgrades to a primary commercial airport. There is a $15,000,000.00 impact to the state budget. (who exactly is benefiting from this?)

SB1438 (2025) Patzkowski/Kern – Rural Economic Development GRANTS. Raises the cap, from $150,000 to $350,0000, on certain Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grants administered by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.

HB1571 (2025) Lawson/Gollihare – Removes the expiration date for the Route 66 Commission who is responsible for funds awarding of GRANT funding for projects on the historic highway Route 66.

HB1727 (2025) Moore/Pugh – College SCHOLARSHIPS only for public teachers’ kids.

HB2019 (2025) Pae/Pugh – A TAX CREDIT for aerospace industry extended to 2032.

HB2260 (2025) Miller/Haste – Establishes 3 TAX CREDITS for civil engineers and their employers beginning tax year 2026. Qualified engineering businesses that employ a civil engineer will receive a TAX CREDIT equal to 5% of the compensation paid to an engineer until January 1, 2031, or 10% if the engineer graduated from an Oklahoma college or university. The TAX CREDIT is capped at $12,500 per employee, per year, and may claimed for up to 5 years. An employer can also CLAIM ANOTHER TAX CREDIT for up to 50% of the tuition reimbursed to an employee for up to 4 years of employment until January 1, 2031. Additionally, the engineer hired is eligible for a TAX CREDIT of $5000 per year, for up to 5 years until January 1, 2031.

HB2402 (2025) – Fetgatter/Murdock – INCOME TAX ABATEMENT for manufacturing of electricity from low grade heat.

HB2407 (2025) Fetgatter/Coleman – Oklahoma “Main Street” GRANT program.

HB2645 (2025) Hilbert/Paxton –    HB2645 provides a $20,000 INCOME TAX CREDIT for doctors that practice medicine in a rural area for up to four years. A rural area is considered a city or town with a population of less than 25,000 that is at least 25 miles from the nearest city or town with a population greater than 25,000. The TAX CREDIT is available beginning tax year 2026 and is limited to $1 million in total claims each year.

HB2753 (2025) Caldwell, T/Howard – TAX CREDITS for Rural Jobs Act.

HB2767 (2025) Caldwell, T/Hall – Transfers $255 million to the ROA-25 Revolving Fund which was created to support industrial projects. The program is part of the Reindustrialize Oklahoma Act run by the Dept of Commerce to incentivize manufacturing companies to invest in Oklahoma.

HB2768 (2025) Caldwell, T/Hall – AMENDS the EXISTING Oklahoma Quality Jobs Incentive Leverage Act by increasing the maximum allowable investment for qualified establishments to $700,000,000.

HB2778 (2025) Caldwell, T/Hall – Creates the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Program, which exempts household income from being factored in when determining eligibility for the Child Care Subsidy Program for employees of child care facilities.

HB2781 (2025) Caldwell, T/Hall – Creates the Reindustrialize Oklahoma Act (ROA-25) investment REBATE PROGRAM. The program will be administered by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce (ODOC), run through July 1, 2045, and provide rebate payments to a manufacturing establishment that makes a capital expenditures investment of at least $2 billion in the state and creates 700 or more new direct jobs by year one of the rebate period. By year two, the jobs threshold is increased to 1000 and will remain so for the remainder of the rebate period. The establishment must also meet the program requirements under the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program

HB2792 (2025) Caldwell, T/Hall – Makes changes to the Progressing Rural Economic Prosperity Fund to create a revolving fund and reappropriates to projects funds that were originally appropriated in 2022; a continuation of funds as several projects still have on-going expenses. The amounts for those projects are:

• $25,000,000.00;
• $1,000,000.00;
• $20,000,000.00;
• $20,000,000.00:
• $20,000,000.00;
• $22,350,000.00;
• $14,000,000.00;
• $4,000,000.00;
• $22,500,000.00;
• $5,000,000.00;

These ones below were brought to committee and thankfully VOTED DOWN: (notice this is a MUCH smaller list!!!)

SB119 (2025) Green/Archer – Creates an investment REBATE program for investments on property for the purpose of refining, manufacturing, and processing compounds or elements into hydrogen-based products. (NO senate floor vote).

SB236 (2025) Haste – Establishes an INCOME TAX CREDIT for employers required to comply with Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) requirements. Individual claims for the credit shall not exceed $50,000.00. The credit may be carried forward for a period of 5 years. NO vote in senate rev/tax committee.

SB241 (2025) Thompson, K – Appropriates $20 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to provide a REBATE for capital investments in an establishment that refines, manufactures, or processes compounds or elements into hydrogen-based products. NO appropriations committee vote.

SB271 (2025) Rader – A repeat of HB2305 above. (Did not get a senate committee vote). Creates the Oklahoma Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Act. The measure stipulates that passive receivers of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) providing essential services shall NOT be civilly liable to the state for costs associated with the release of PFAS to the environment. NO senate energy committee vote.

SB820 (2025) Boren/Gise – Amends the Oklahoma Five Major Sports Leagues REBATE Program Act which expands eligibility to the Womens Nat’l Basketball Association, Womens Professional Fastpitch and National Womens Soccer League. This Act provides a REBATE PROGRAM similiar to the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program with a maximum annual rebate of $10 MILLION per qualifying entity or establishment. NO house floor vote.

SB938 (2025) Kirt – Creates the Municipal Workforce Housing Development GRANT PROGRAM within the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency to provide financial assistance to municipalities for the purpose of increasing the availability of workforce housing. NO senate ecomonic development committee vote.

SB1501 (2024) Paxton – Income tax credit for geothermal. (NO senate floor vote).

HB2305 (2024) Rader/Pfeiffer – Oklahoma PFAS Act which said receivers of PFAS shall NOT BE LIABLE for the release into the environment. Also, that Oklahoma will accept other states’ PFAS. Oklahoma is not a toxic waste dump site! (Died in conference committee 5/30/24).

HB1848 (2025) Thompson, K/Schreiber – Committee substitute grants a TAX CREDIT to employers that provides a childcare subsidy to its employees or operates a childcare facility for its employees. The credit is equal to 30 percent of the subsidy amount or operating cost, limited to $30,000 per employer. The credit may be claimed for tax year 2026 through 2030 and capped at $5 million in total claims each year. NO senate floor vote.

HB2026 (2025) Archer/Haste – RENAMES the Oklahoma Aircraft Engine Testing Development Grant Program to the Oklahoma Aircraft and Rocket Engine Testing Development GRANT PROGRAM. (an EXISTING GRANT program). NO senate aeronautics committee vote.

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Bottom line – this giving away money to PRIVATE BUSINESSES has to stop. Period. I don’t care if you’re a Republican or Democrat, tax incentives are NOT A PROPER FUNCTION OF GOVERNMENT.

If you’re a REPUBLICAN, however, and you’ve had anything to do with business incentivizing tax credits, you need to change your political affiliation. The Republican platform includes planks on our belief in the Free Enterprise system (which can’t exist side-by-side with tax credits for businesses of any kind) and our belief in SMALLER GOVERNMENT, which will never happen when new employees have to be hired to maintain and care for another system of tax dollar giveaways. Sadly, note that the same legislators appear to be running tax credit legislation and they are nearly all Republicans.

Please, PLEASE, share this information with anyone you know and ask them to contact their Senator and Representative (at the Oklahoma Capitol – you can find yours here) and tell them that – if they want YOUR vote – they need to stop authoring and/or voting for tax incentives for businesses of any kind. We’ll never be able to lower income tax rates or try to divorce ourselves of property taxes if the government keeps stealing from us to fund pet business projects. Period.