Council in the News
Massachusetts High Technology Council media coverage.
Massachusetts’ 6-month-old millionaire tax is already up for a change that targets married couples
There’s a $600 million-dollar question confronting lawmakers tasked with hashing out differences in House and Senate versions of tax reform: Should the state crack down on married couples filing taxes separately to skirt the state’s new millionaire tax?
Crosswinds Swirling In Tax Relief Talks
Lawmakers eyeing prompt compromise on House and Senate tax relief bills that differ in several major ways will be buffeted by competing crosswinds that seem to disagree on what, exactly, is the best way to make Massachusetts more competitive.
Face-to-face: Senate President Karen Spilka addresses some of tax relief plan’s biggest critics
Elizabeth Mahoney of the Massachusetts High Technology Council wants to ask Spilka what her plans are to improve competitiveness for state businesses. “We’re concerned,” Mahoney said.
A Year Later, Tax Relief Bills Again Up For Negotiation
Lewis at one point named a quartet of business-backed groups — the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Mass. High Technology Council, the Pioneer Institute and “even our friends at the Mass. Taxpayers Foundation” — that he said are deploying a “false narrative” about taxes pushing people out of state.
Business leaders urge Senate to expand tax-relief plan.
Business leaders are urging lawmakers to include the tax relief in the plan, arguing that the current proposal doesn’t do enough to improve the state’s affordability. “The data shows that high-income earners are significantly contributing to the loss of wealth from the state and the Senate’s proposal does not go far enough to mitigate this outmigration.”
Boston is a good place to start a tech company. Keeping it here is another story.
Questions about the state’s competitive standing — and loss of residents to other states — have absolutely dominated the business discourse since voters approved the controversial “millionaires tax” ballot proposal in November.
Lawmakers have tried to change tax rebate law before but failed
“It’s appropriate that Mass High Tech is defending the voters’ tax cap law (Chapter 62F) as it was the partnership of Citizens for Limited Taxation led by Barbara Anderson and the Massachusetts High Technology Council under the leadership of Howard Foley that succeeded with the creation and adoption of the law,” he said.
Don’t tinker with surplus tax-rebate law
The Massachusetts High Tech Council has warned lawmakers not to alter the tax rebate law, stating such action would violate the Massachusetts constitution.
Biz groups caution against tax law update
Business groups say proposed changes to a voter-approved tax rebate law being considered by the state Legislature would be unconstitutional, signaling a possible legal fight over efforts to equally distribute excess taxes.
Some options for Massachusetts lawmakers seeking ‘fairer’ 62F tax rebate law amid legal threats
Several bills filed this session would repeal 62F entirely. Another would establish a commission to study 62F. Both options would not violate the state constitution.
Massachusetts High Tech Council slams tax rebate rewrite
The influential Massachusetts High Tech Council is warning lawmakers that altering the tax rebate law is unconstitutional and should not be adopted. The House has already headed down that road, but a memo authored at the request of the council says it’s a legal dead end.
Biz groups caution against tax law update
In a letter to Gov. Maura Healey and legislative leaders, the Massachusetts High Technology Council warned that a legal analysis suggests the proposed change to Chapter 62F to allow equal tax rebates when the law is triggered would be a “clear violation” of the constitution.
House’s 62F Overhaul “Unconstitutional,” Council Alleges
The Massachusetts High Technology Council, which has threatened or taken legal action in several other tax policy matters, wrote to legislative leaders and Gov. Maura Healey to argue that carving up excess tax revenues into equal rebates would “violate the state’s Constitution by effectively taxing income at different rates for different taxpayers.”
High Tech Council calls House move unconstitutional
The Massachusetts High Technology Council, which has threatened or taken legal action in several other tax policy matters, wrote to legislative leaders and Gov. Maura Healey to argue that carving up excess tax revenues into equal rebates would “violate the state’s Constitution by effectively taxing income at different rates for different taxpayers.”
Mass. House passes $1.1 billion tax package it says will help families, businesses, and even the dead
Facing little friction, the Massachusetts House on Thursday passed a bill overhauling the state’s tax code, a wide-ranging package that would boost tax breaks for renters, families, and others, and slash how much the state taxes profits on short-term investments. The bill — worth nearly $1.1 billion once it takes full effect — cleared the Democrat-dominated House, 150-3, after about two hours of debate and with just three Democrats voting against it.
Healey made her pitch on taxes last month. Now it’s Speaker Mariano’s turn.
House Speaker Ronald Mariano on Thursday committed to bringing forward a tax reform package this spring, after expressing doubts in recent months that the state could afford one. After Governor Maura Healey last month filed a tax reform bill that could cost up to $1 billion a year, all eyes have been on Mariano to see what kind of reforms the House of Representatives would pursue, if any.
Healey’s plans to cut business tax faces pushback
Healey administration officials argue that a simplified capital gains structure, which “aligns” the short-term capital gains tax with long-term capital gains levy at 5%, would make Massachusetts less of an outlier on corporate taxation. The plan is facing pushback from both sides of the issue with progressive groups blasting the tax breaks and business groups calling for more tax relief.
Beacon Hill Roll Call, Nov. 27-March 3
Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ votes on a roll call from the week of Feb. 27-March 3. There were no roll calls in the Senate last week.
What is and isn’t in Healey’s budget
Maura Healey’s first budget proposal is a $55.5 billion blueprint for how the new governor plans to make good on her promises to spend more on education, transportation, and energy and environmental agencies.
Healey pitches her budget and tax reform plans to Boston’s business community
A day after unveiling her $55.5 billion state budget, Gov. Maura Healey is on the road trying to garner support for her plan. She made a pitch Thursday morning to 800 members of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.
Healey tells Boston Chamber her tax relief plan will make Massachusetts more competitive
Her plan would reduce the tax rate on investments held for less than a year from 12 percent to 5 percent, bringing it in line with the state’s taxes on long-term capital gains and personal income. Only two other states, Healey told the chamber, tax short-term gains at a higher rate than long-term gains. Meanwhile, she would offer a credit that would essentially raise the threshold for the estate tax from $1 million to $3 million; she noted only one other state has such a low threshold, and most states have no estate tax at all.