taxes
If Gov. Patrick has his way: As part of his budget proposal for the fiscal year that starts July 1, he wants to repeal the current sales-tax exemption on candy, liquor and sugary drinks. He would also extend the current bottle-deposit law to bottles of water, Gatorade and their ilk.
Via David at Blue Mass. Group, who also notes a proposal to expand the number of charter schools in the states' 50 lowest-performing school districts, which includes Boston.
You don't see that everyday! Tax filers who are in civil unions (or domestic or same-sex partnerships) were prevented from using TaxCut software, and had to go in person to an H&R Block office to get taxes filed. The ACLU complained, and the big green tax folks listened.
Angela, who smokes, will be damned if the Commonwealth gets another pound of flesh out of her:
... Thank God my car is fuel-efficient because I can see a bi-weekly trip to New Hampshire in my future. Ah, New Hampshire ... our friendly neighbor to the north. I can almost see the delight on the faces of the Seabrook cigarette retailers now.
Quite a discussion over at Blue Mass Group about the possibility of taxing the endowments of Harvard ($34b, according to the Globe) and other private universities in the Commonwealth.
Note to Harvard folks: Locked-down campus wifi unavailable to visitors doesn't make you any friends in this discussion.
The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center takes a look at the House's proposed tax modifications (the ones that will give large companies a new loophole). Among other things:
... The amendment appears to take away from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue much of the standard authority that departments of revenue generally have to adopt regulations that implement the law. Reducing the regulatory authority of the department could strengthen the hand of companies with the capacity to design sophisticated tax avoidance strategies by weakening the capacity of the department of revenue to ensure that our tax laws are implemented in a fair, effective and efficient manner. ...
Right before the opening pitch. Of course, they could steal a page from Mitt Romney and call it a fee.
Speaking of taxes, Sean Roche makes the case for increasing the state gasoline tax from 21 cents a gallon - where it's been since 1991 - to 40 cents a gallon:
Philip Greenspun, who is a pilot, doesn't like Deval Patrick's effort to revive a sales tax, repealed in 2002, on aircraft and aircraft maintenance:
... Maybe "young, gifted, and black" translates to "try to tax things that can move at 500 mph; send jobs to states governed by old, boring, and white people. ...
Yeah, because as a white person, I sure feel put upon that Patrick is going to try to tax my personal jetcopter, the one I was promised as a kid.
Channel 4: State owed $2.2 billion in back taxes:
... A two-month analysis of Massachusetts tax scofflaws from Boston to the Florida coast shows while most ordinary taxpayers pony up when the tax bill comes due – even in this difficult economy - some of our wealthiest neighbors repeatedly snub their nose at their tax obligations. ...
Tape details some stupidity involving the Department of Revenue and a list of allegedly free online tax-filing services, at least one of which is charging $14.95 for its "free" service.
As a Boston homeowner, sure, I'd love to see my property taxes go down $200 a year, which is what Tom Menino says would happen if the legislature passes Deval Patrick's proposal to let local governments raise their own meals and telecommunications taxes.
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