The Capitol in Salt Lake City is pictured on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
The Utah State Tax Commission is about to get a new commissioner.
Gov. Spencer Cox on Thursday appointed John Deeds, an attorney specializing in state and local taxes, to succeed longtime Commissioner Michael Cragun, who has served on the commission since 2009.
“John knows how to navigate complex tax issues and keep things grounded in common sense,” Cox said in a news release. “He brings the kind of practical expertise and steady leadership that will benefit both taxpayers and the commission.”
The Utah State Tax Commission is a body that oversees the administration and enforcement of Utah’s tax laws. It consists of four members, and is currently led by longtime Commission Chair John Valentine. Deeds — if his appointment is confirmed by the Utah Senate — will join Commissioners Rebecca Rockwell and Jennifer Fresques.
Cragun will be leaving his seat on June 30, Valentine told Utah News Dispatch on Thursday. No other information was provided about Cragun’s departure, and when pressed, Valentine said, “he’s just not ready to make any public announcements at this time.”
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Valentine praised Deeds as a “very capable tax attorney,” and he said his fellow tax commissioners are “very, very excited to have him come onto the commission and bring the expertise he can bring.”
Deeds is currently a partner at the law firm Crapo | Deeds PLLC where he represents individuals and businesses in a wide variety of state and local tax matters. He’s been an attorney for more than 15 years, and through his career, he’s helped craft tax policy, according to an alum bio on the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics website.
Deeds also served as a law clerk in the Utah Attorney General’s Office’s Tax and Revenue division, where he represented the Utah State Tax Commission in tax litigation and compliance issues.
“It’s an honor to be appointed, and I’m excited to serve the people of this great state,” Deeds said in a prepared statement. “I’m committed to upholding the tax laws in a fair and impartial manner.
Deeds earned his Master of Laws in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center. He also holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law and dual bachelor’s degrees in political science and psychology from the University of Utah.
As a member of the Utah State Bar Tax section, Deeds “frequently presents at national tax conferences and contributes to leading industry publications,” the governor’s office said in Thursday’s release.
Deeds and his wife Jane Deeds live in Farmington with their five children.
His appointment will be subject to confirmation by the Utah Senate. A date for that vote has not yet been scheduled.