Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt has filed a lawsuit against the United States Department of the Treasury and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen over the interpretation of a mandate in the American Rescue Plan Act that would force states to choose between accepting COVID-19 relief funds or exercising their sovereignty over state tax policy. “As a […]
Tag: Taxes
Trenton City Council to meet in special session on Tuesday evening
Trenton City Council meets in special session Tuesday evening, March 30, for what’s described as amending the next fiscal year budget initially approved at a March 22nd meeting. The 6:30 meeting will be held at City Hall and is open to the public and can be viewed online via the Zoom web application. Contact the […]
Evanston, Illinois to provide housing grants as form of reparations
Black residents of Evanston, who lived in the city between 1919 and 1969 or are direct descendants of someone who did, can start receiving what the City Council calls reparations in early to mid-summer, in the form of housing grants. The plan is to provide $25,000 grants for home repairs, mortgage assistance, or down payments, to […]
Abortion amendment puts bill to finance Missouri Medicaid program in limbo
(Missouri Independent) – Missouri Senate leadership pulled a bill vital for funding the state’s Medicaid program from floor debate Tuesday after adopting an amendment barring the use of public money for common contraceptive treatments. The amendment, sponsored by Republican Sen. Paul Wieland, could endanger the state’s entire Medicaid program by eliminating a health care service required by federal […]
Audio: Missouri House Committee hears testimony on legislation aimed at helping seniors with property taxes
A proposed constitutional amendment that would prevent Missouri seniors 65 and older with incomes of less than $45 thousand dollars from paying property tax has been heard by a House committee in Jefferson City. Branson GOP State Representative Brian Seitz testified today (Wednesday) before the Ways and Means Committee. While the proposal’s fiscal […]
$300 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds transferred to Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund
Governor Mike Parson announced that he has authorized a transfer of $300 million in federal Coronavirus Relief Funds from the State Treasury into the state’s UI Trust Fund to help keep the Trust Fund balance above the level that would trigger an increase in contribution tax rates for Missouri businesses. “With over 96 percent of […]
Missouri Department of Revenue extends tax deadline for 2020 tax year to May 17, 2021
The Missouri Department of Revenue is extending the state individual tax filing and payment deadline for the 2020 tax year from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021. The decision mirrors Wednesday’s announcement by the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service that individual taxpayers would receive automatic extensions to file and pay federal […]
Branson performer pleads guilty to fraud scheme
A performer at a Branson, Missouri, theater pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing more than $85,000 from hundreds of his own audience members who donated to his non-existent charity for foster children. “For several years, this performer took advantage of his own audiences by pulling at their heartstrings while stealing from their pockets,” said […]
Tax Day for individuals extended to May 17, 2021
The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service announced that the federal income tax filing due date for individuals for the 2020 tax year will be automatically extended from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021. The IRS will be providing formal guidance in the coming days. “This continues to be a tough time for many […]
Audio: Missouri Attorney General says federal pandemic package could prevent states from carrying out any tax cuts
Missouri’s Attorney General says language in the latest pandemic package could prevent states from carrying out any tax relief. Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Republican attorney generals from 20 other states have fired off a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. They are questioning why the 1.9-trillion dollar plan bans states from […]
Grundy County Commission accepting bids for pipe and fuel
The Grundy County Commission is accepting bids for pipes and fuel. The metal or polyethylene pipes are for 2021. Bids are to be for two and two-thirds-inch by half-inch and three-inch by one-inch standard round corrugated, riveted metal pipes and riveted polymer-coated pipes and/or polyethylene pipes per foot with fittings and accessories approved by the […]
States question whether new federal stimulus law rules out tax cuts
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden’s massive pandemic stimulus law pumps a welcome infusion of federal aid into state and local government coffers — but one brief section is raising questions about whether states are barred from cutting their own taxes if they accept the federal help. The Senate added language to the COVID-19 relief package […]
Audio: Missouri House advances effort to tax out-of-state businesses selling online
The state House of Representatives has given first-round approval to an effort that would tax out-of-state businesses selling online to Missourians. The legislation might not result in a significant state revenue increase because it would be offset by lowering the state’s income tax rate. Bill sponsor J. Eggleston, of northwest Missouri’s Maysville, says a so-called […]
Missouri cities, counties in line for millions from federal COVID relief bill
(Missouri Independent) – The plan for distributing money directly to Missouri counties in the current version of the $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus relief bill is pretty simple – each gets $195.44 per person. But for cities, instead of a formula based on population, Congress divvies up the money using the method for determining Community Development Block Grant allocations. […]
Missouri House committee votes to forgive federal unemployment debts
(Missouri Independent) – Thousands of Missourians facing repayment of mistakenly paid unemployment benefits would get some relief under legislation passed with a bipartisan vote Wednesday in a Missouri House committee. The bill, which will likely be debated on the House floor next week, would forgive debts due to overpayments from federal coronavirus relief programs but would not […]
Audio: Missouri could soon require online retail businesses from out-of-state to pay state sales tax
Missouri could soon require online retail businesses from out-of-state to pay state sales tax. State Senator Andrew Koenig, a Republican from eastern Missouri’s Manchester, is sponsoring a so-called Wayfair bill. He tells Missourinet his goal is to make the state’s businesses more competitive. Koenig says his bill could bring in roughly 80 to […]
VITA program offers free tax preparation services
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites offering eligible Missourians free assistance with tax return preparation are open at University of Missouri Extension sites throughout the state through April 14. “During such an extraordinary time, people will certainly have questions about their taxes,” said Andrew Zumwalt, an associate extension professor of personal financial planning. Volunteers have […]
Audio: Southwest Missouri lawmaker proposes property tax delinquency date changes
Legislation changing the delinquency date of real and personal property taxes from January 1 to March 1 has been heard today (Wednesday) by a Missouri House committee. O’Fallon GOP State Representative Tony Lovasco supports the bill. The Missouri Association of School Administrators has testified against legislation changing the delinquency date of real and […]
Biden immigration overhaul would open a door to citizenship for 11 million people
(Missouri Independent) – President Joe Biden is poised to send a sweeping immigration reform bill to Congress Thursday that would lay out a path for nearly 11 million undocumented people to obtain citizenship within eight years. Immigration has been one of the toughest issues for Congress to tackle, and the legislation’s fate is unclear in […]
Grundy County Commission approves ballot measure for April election
The Grundy County Commission has approved placing a question on the April ballot asking if the county should enforce brush control adjacent to county roads. The measure involves a Missouri statute, which states the “brush shall be cut, burned, or otherwise destroyed as often as necessary in order to keep such lands accessible for purposes […]