Tax

A bill that would enable Washington County to enter into agreements with technology-related businesses to let them make payments in lieu of personal property taxes was heard Tuesday at a Senate Budget and Taxation Committee hearing. The agreements would let a technology-related company spread out its personal property tax burden over a number of years. The bill, which was presented by Sen. Christopher B. Shank, R-Washington, at the Senate Committee also has been filed as a delegation bill in the House of Delegates.

The Washington Township Supervisors on Monday unanimously approved a public hearing to discuss a tax abatement program that officials hope will kick-start development in the township. The hearing to discuss a LERTA zone was set for Monday, March 18, at 8 p.m. It will follow the supervisors' regularly scheduled meeting at 7. Mike Ross, president of Franklin County Area Development Corp., will lead the discussion at the hearing. LERTA (Local Environmental Revitalization Tax Abatement)

An area resident recently submitted a question regarding how local restaurants are permitted to apply sales tax to orders when a customer uses a coupon, specifically a “buy one, get one free” offer. In an email, the woman said she has used “buy one, get one” coupons at several area restaurants, but one in particular applies sales tax to the full amount of the bill prior to taking out the discount. “When questioned on this, they say their accountant says they are allowed to do this,” the woman said in her email.

With the state sales tax exemption for qualifying Energy Star products set to take effect this weekend, Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot was at Spichers Appliances and Electronics on Pennsylvania Avenue in Hagerstown on Wednesday to promote the third annual Shop Maryland Energy weekend. “We find that Marylanders plan for months around this weekend,” Franchot said. “It's hugely popular and very successful.” Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and lasting through midnight Monday, shoppers in Maryland will not have to pay the state's 6 percent sales tax if they purchase certain products that meet the energy efficiency requirements to earn the Energy Star label.

A comment was made by an anonymous Mail Caller recently concerning confusion about Maryland's sales tax as it applies to food purchases. “I recently went to a local eatery to get takeout,” the person said. “I noticed that I was charged 7 percent tax. I thought the sales tax in Maryland was 6 percent. I looked online and could not find anywhere that takeout would be charged a higher rate than everything else. Anybody have an explanation for me?” According to a spokeswoman at the state comptroller's office, Maryland sales and use tax applies to all retail sales within the state, as well as the use of “tangible personal property or a taxable service.” Spokeswoman Sarah C. Dufresne said in an email that the sales tax rate on food and drink is 6 percent in most cases, unless an exception applies.

For several years, Gov. Martin O'Malley has been talking about raising transportation funds for Maryland with a possible sales tax increase on gasoline. Last year, he floated an idea of a 6 percent sales tax increase on gas, but did not find a lot of backers. In his State of the State address Wednesday, O'Malley made another reference to the state's transportation needs. “There is no reason why we should be content with having the worst traffic congestion in the country. Building a 21st-century transportation network won't happen by itself,” O'Malley said.

Since the Internal Revenue Service and the Maryland comptroller's office no longer automatically send out tax forms, where can the forms be found? To print forms for filing state taxes in Maryland, documents can be downloaded from the comptroller's website at www.marylandtaxes.com , or by emailing taxforms@comp.state.md.us . For Washington County residents who do not have access to a computer, state documents are available for pickup at...

Ten or more years ago, the Washington County Commissioners paid a handsome sum for a consultant study to determine whether the county needed a fire tax. What it got for its money was a lot of redundant background and boilerplate, with no answer to the commissioners' central question. Under pressure, the commissioners pressed the consultant for an answer: Did Washington County need a fire tax? The consultant added a few paragraphs that essentially said, “Sure, why not?” and the county had its answer, but it didn't matter, since the commissioners didn't act on the consultant study anyway.

Phil Mickelson, one of the most popular golfers on the PGA Tour and a fan favorite known as “Lefty,” was speaking his mind last week following the final round of the Humana Challenge. He did not have a particularly great tournament, finishing tied for 37th place in his first event of the year.  Mickelson opened the door for criticism when he observed that he will be paying more in taxes this year than he will take home to his family. With California's Proposition 30 now in place, Mickelson will be subject to the new state income tax rate of 13.3 percent on his earnings of $1 million or more.  This is a 29 percent increase over California's previous “millionaires tax.” With the state in dire financial straits, Democrats have decided that their budget problems will be solved if they can just take more from the wealthy - that is, if the wealthy will stand still long enough to have their pockets picked.

The City of Hagerstown on Tuesday rolled out preliminary budget figures for next fiscal year, projecting a $1.05 million shortfall that may need to be filled by a property tax increase, according to city officials. City staff members still have about two months to identify potential cuts or where revenues can be boosted before the proposed fiscal year 2013-14 budget is due before the Hagerstown City Council near the end of March. “I think that within two months, that problem can be addressed,” Councilman Martin E. Brubaker said.