Tag: sales tax

Tax breaks for textbooks offered as way to hold down college costs

With the cost of college tuition and textbooks on the rise, legislators are proposing sales tax breaks on textbooks in hopes of providing financial relief to students. House Ways and Means Committee Chair Sheila Hixson and Del. Michael Smigiel advocated different versions of textbook tax breaks before her committee Tuesday. Smigiel, R-Cecil, outlined a plan for year-round tax exemption on textbooks, while Hixson proposed setting a limited time period during which students can purchase their books tax-free.

Read More

O’Malley says he’s delivered on some goals, but not energy and transportation

A lot of the reporters wanted to talk about guns at Tuesday’s roundtable with Gov. Martin O’Malley, and the governor did speak in general terms about the need for more gun control and mental health services. But what O’Malley really wanted to talk about was how his administration measured up to the 15 broad goals that are tracked by the governor’s “delivery unit.” Maryland did show broad progress on most of the goals since O’Malley took office, and some of the targets had already been met .

Read More

Assembly staff presents $1 billion in sales tax hikes on services, Internet

As legislative staff presented over $1 billion in potential new revenues from taxing professional services and Internet sales in Annapolis Tuesday, Senate leaders insisted repeatedly that they weren’t actively considering sales tax hikes. “This is an effort in the main part to be prepared for any situation,” said Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Chair Ed Kasemeyer, D-Howard. “They’re not priorities. They’re a list of potential revenue sources.”

Read More

Broader sales tax a good idea to fix deficit, Senate Budget chairman says, and O’Malley likely to propose tax hike to fund transportation

Widening Maryland’s sales tax to include more services is “the place to go” in fixing the state’s persistent structural deficit, the chairman of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee said Thursday. Sen. Edward Kasemeyer, D-Howard, also said, “I’m assuming some kind of revenue increase” will be part of a transportation package Gov. Martin O’Malley will sponsor in the fall special session of the legislature that he will call to deal with congressional redistricting.

Read More

High cost of sales-tax exemption for textbooks might doom bill

Students would save money under a bill that would exempt textbooks from Maryland’s sales tax, but the pricey measure appears unlikely to move during a tight budget year.

Advocates had hoped to build on a law passed last year to increase competition in college textbook sales, which has has apparently reduced costs to students. Some neighboring states have tax exceptions for textbooks.

Read More
Loading

Support Our Work!

We depend on your support. A generous gift in any amount helps us continue to bring you this service.

Facebook