From time to time I have covered the efforts of libertarian heroes Carla Howell and Michael Cloud to bring about an end to the Massachusetts income tax. They succeeded in the collection and complex certification of a huge number of signatures; they defeated an underhanded counter-attack by the teachers union; they even overcame a law-breaking legislature:
Fourth, although the Massachusetts Constitution requires the state legislature to take testimony on and vote on our END the Income Tax Ballot Initiative, the legislature refused to obey the Constitution. The legislature refused to invite us to give testimony. They refused to vote on our initiative.
Fortunately, the legislature cannot exercise a “pocket veto,” cannot block a ballot initiative by refusing to comply with the state Constitution. A Massachusetts Supreme Court decision allows our Initiative to move forward – even when the legislature violates the state Constitution.
Now they have one more hurdle before they get on the ballot. Another twenty thousand signature collected, distributed to each town for certification and then delivered to the appropriate State official by June 9.
Should be a dawdle for those two, but if you want to help you can do so here.
By the way, I will be working the JPMorgan Tech08 show in Boston later this month.
With the deductibility of state income taxes against federal income taxes, are’t they overstating the savings to itemizers?
The amount that someone’s federal tax will increase depends upon that person’s specific situation. Since it will be different for each individual there’s no way to predict anyone’s individual saving.
Stating what everyone will save in state taxes is a true statement. Most people must know there is also a federal tax and if you don’t incur a deductible expense you don’t have that deduction. You’ve still avoided that particular expense.
In Washington State we have sales tax but no income tax. We still get a deduction from the IRS. You can either choose a standard deduction based on income plus any major purchases (auto, etc.) or actual tax paid if you’re a receipt collector.
If they manage to pull this off in the bluest state in the Union, Moses will have to shift over to make room for some new miracle workers. God bless them for even trying!
TFellow, you are right. I forgot, if you live in a state with no income tax you can deduct sales tax. If you live in a state with an income tax you get no deduction for sales tax.
Good luck!
I don’t understand this… I mean, how will the parks and police and firemen and roads get paid for? These are things the government currently takes care of with our tax dollars and if we do away with the income tax, sales and property taxes alone will not be enough to pay for these things. Also, the income tax is one of the most progressive taxes — mean that someone from a lower socioeconomic place pays way more of their income in sales taxes than do people in higher socioeconomic situations. The US is already a top country in the list of unequal income distribution and in the past 25 years the rich have gotten richer and poor poorer. It would be unfair to people already struggling to put food on the table to then take away many things that are currently allowing them to better themselves and and their children. This would take away daycare funding and school funding which would leave untold amounts of people in a situation we should never see in the US.
Just think about all this for a minute! It’s not in anyone’s best interest to gain at the expense of the rest of us. I mean, if you’re healthy and everyone around has the flu, it’s gonna get to you at some point.
The repeal of the State income tax would be one reason I might actually stay in this state. For starters the inefficiency and waste would leave the budget immediately. You will not lose all your services for they are only a minimal portion of the budget.
Governments need financial constraints to work properly. If there are no financial constraints then governments will do less with more money. With financial constraints governments will do more with less money.
It’s no different than spoiling a child with money or teaching the child to be fiscally responsible and save.
Essentially what will happen is the state will be forced to be more efficient and everyone will have more money. Nobody loses in this situation. The person that loses is the government workers who sits around with his thumb up his *ss getting overpaid. Then he or she might have to get a real job and work for a living.
In this situation he or she isn’t losing out but gaining something. They will be doing real work for a living.
These doomsday scenarios are hocus pocus. Nothing will change the next day. Everything will be open and working properly and if not they will have to learn how to with less.
I have never been happier to live in MA as I am now. I hope to God this gets passed. The lazy state employees getting handouts will have to start working.
The Massachusetts Department of Revenue administers the tax laws of the Commonwealth of Income tax services. Massachusetts voters opted against phasing out the state’s 5.3 percent income tax.
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Brian
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Perhaps Massachusetts voters require use of your services to wean them from their addiction to stolen goods.