AUGUSTA — It would mean a lot more money in Mainers’ paychecks, but critics of Gov. Paul LePage’s plan to eliminate the income tax say the cost is simply too high for the state to bear. During a public hearing Tuesday on the governor’s bill, which would ask voters to ratify a constitutional amendment banning […]
income tax
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage starts work on bill to eliminate Maine income tax
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage is drawing a line in the sand on killing Maine’s income tax. In a letter sent to legislative leaders from both parties on Monday, LePage revealed that he’s filed preliminary paperwork on a bill (LR 1983, “Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Eliminate the Income Tax,”) to […]
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Posted inLetters
M. Keim: Shifting taxes doesn’t work
Doing away with the state income tax? What a fairy-tale Gov. Paul LePage is spinning. The reality is that all he is doing is shifting the taxes from the income tax to other taxes. Recently, I saw firsthand what his plan is doing. I could be paying $207 more in property tax with the loss […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage vows to keep fighting to kill Maine income tax
LePage spoke first at a luncheon held by the Maine Heritage Policy Center, a conservative think tank, at the Cross Insurance Center. About 70 people attended, each paying between $45 and $55 for the right to hear the governor’s speech. The governor’s sales pitch was roughly the same: LePage said his tax reform plan will […]
Posted inOp-Eds
David Sirota: Poor people have higher tax rate than the rich
American politics are dominated by those with money. As such, America’s tax debate is dominated by voices that insist the rich are unduly persecuted by high taxes and that low-income folks are living the high life. Indeed, a new survey by the Pew Research Center recently found that the most financially secure Americans believe “poor […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine’s income revenue declines as expected
AUGUSTA — Many states, particularly along the Eastern Seaboard, are entering budget crisis mode as a result of eroding income tax collections. Maine is seeing a similar trend, but no crisis is expected here. Michael Allen, director of research and econometrics for Maine Revenue Services, said the state’s income tax receipts were more than 15 […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Identity thieves getting more creative and bold in stealing billions in tax refunds from IRS
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Laura Hankins knew something was wrong when she filed her daughter’s tax return and it was rejected hours later: An identity thief already had sent in a return using the 19-year-old’s personal information. “This is the first time in her life she has ever filed income taxes, after earning all of […]
Posted inOur View
‘How does New Hampshire do it?’
That’s not just a headline, it’s the title of a report done in 2011 by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. While the data is a little dated, the report is as relevant today as it was two years ago. Gov. Paul LePage’s stated goal for a second term would be to eliminate Maine’s income […]