Madigan Proposes Slashing State's Corporate Tax Rate
From the Associated Press
House Speaker Michael Madigan on Thursday proposed cutting Illinois' corporate income tax in half in an effort to improve the state's business climate, a move that also could help blunt election-year criticism that Democrats' policies are to blame for a sputtering economy and stubbornly high unemployment.
The legislation would cut the rate from 7 percent to 3.5 percent, effective Jan. 1, 2014. The powerful Chicago Democrat said it would save businesses an estimated $500 million to $700 million in the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.
"I am hopeful this legislation will encourage CEOs to grow their workforces with good paying jobs," Madigan said. But business groups offered tepid praise, saying it would impact only a fraction of Illinois companies and that other taxes — particularly the personal income tax — are of greater concern.
Kim Clarke Maisch, Illinois director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, said 75 percent of small businesses are organized in such a way that they pay personal income taxes on all business income. According to the Legislature's Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, of the companies organized to pay corporate income tax, about 70 percent had no tax liability in 2010.
"It's a step in the right direction, but the real job creators are small business owners, so if we're looking to give them relief, it would be better if we were to focus on the personal income tax as well," Maisch said.
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From the Associated Press
House Speaker Michael Madigan on Thursday proposed cutting Illinois' corporate income tax in half in an effort to improve the state's business climate, a move that also could help blunt election-year criticism that Democrats' policies are to blame for a sputtering economy and stubbornly high unemployment.
The legislation would cut the rate from 7 percent to 3.5 percent, effective Jan. 1, 2014. The powerful Chicago Democrat said it would save businesses an estimated $500 million to $700 million in the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.
"I am hopeful this legislation will encourage CEOs to grow their workforces with good paying jobs," Madigan said. But business groups offered tepid praise, saying it would impact only a fraction of Illinois companies and that other taxes — particularly the personal income tax — are of greater concern.
Kim Clarke Maisch, Illinois director of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, said 75 percent of small businesses are organized in such a way that they pay personal income taxes on all business income. According to the Legislature's Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, of the companies organized to pay corporate income tax, about 70 percent had no tax liability in 2010.
"It's a step in the right direction, but the real job creators are small business owners, so if we're looking to give them relief, it would be better if we were to focus on the personal income tax as well," Maisch said.
Read more in our daily News Update...