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Posted on May 13, 2009
Source: Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Wisconsin’s budget problems have been widely publicized, and the current economic environment will create additional fiscal challenges for the State. Comments from legislators and articles indicate that additional sales taxes are certain to be considered next year.
Although the WICPA has helped defeat prior attempts to impose a sales tax on services, Wisconsin’s poor fiscal health will make such a tax more appealing now than in the past. It is therefore very important that CPAs inform their legislators about the adverse consequences of a sales tax on services: Read more »
Posted on April 24, 2009
Source: New Richmond News
The proposed state budget has a disturbing sales tax increase that will not only have a negative effect on Wisconsin people, but also most businesses.
The issue of a raising and expanding sales taxes in Wisconsin has been whispered about since the Governor’s “budget fix” speech in mid-February.
Currently the state sales tax is 5 percent. Most counties (61 of 72), including St. Croix County, also have a .5 percent sales tax. That brings the tax total to 5.5 percent in most counties. Read more »
Posted on
Source: The Janesville Gazette
Taxes were on the minds of many readers last week.
April 15, of course, was the income tax filing deadline. Tens of thousands of “Tea Party” protesters rallied nationwide against taxes.
That same day, the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce fired off a news release stating that Thomas Industries’ plan to move nearly 300 factory jobs to Louisiana is more evidence that Wisconsin’s manufacturing economy is in crisis. Wisconsin has lost more than 140,000 factory jobs since 2000, WMC says. Read more »
Posted on April 23, 2009
Source: Hudson Star-Observer
The proposed state budget has a disturbing sales tax increase that will not only have a negative effect on Wisconsin people, but also most businesses.
The issue of a raising and expanding sales taxes in Wisconsin has been whispered about since the Governor’s “budget fix” speech in mid-February.
Currently the state sales tax is 5 percent. Most counties (61 of 72), including St. Croix County, also have a .5 percent sales tax. That brings the tax total to 5.5 percent in most counties. Read more »
Posted on April 6, 2009
Source: Sen. Jim Sullivan
As Wisconsin tackles the economic crisis, one phrase we have heard is that nothing is off the table when it comes to resolving our $5.4 billion state budget deficit. To a certain extent, that is true: anything that is reasonable, fair and serves a valid purpose is up for discussion. Taxing legal services, however, does not meet that criteria. While no such proposal has been formally introduced, taxing legal services is the wrong way to go.
Taxing legal services is not a revenue solution; it is an impediment to the exercise of constitutional rights. Working people would foot the bill for such a proposal. It is not reasonable or fair to tax a surcharge on criminal defendants when liberty itself is at stake. Increasing representation costs by instituting an additional tax will make it even more difficult for people to attain legal help, which flies in the face of our constitutional right to representation, codified in the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution. Read more »
Posted on February 16, 2009
Feb. 16, 2009
Madison — Twenty organizations and trade groups announced a new Capitol lobbying coalition today that will fight all moves to charge the 5% sales tax on now-exempt services the groups provide or buy, as Gov. Jim Doyle and Democratic legislative look for ways to fix a $5.7-billion budget deficit.
The Coalition Against New Taxes will use lobbyists that now work for each of the 20 groups to also fight any move to expand the sales tax, said Bll Smith, state director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses. Read more »
