Legislature takes its time abolishing a law that it says is ‘devastating’ to business
In House Bill 1300, the Legislature admits that amendments made in 2009 to move the deadline for paying general excise taxes from the end of the month to the 20th of the month ”have had a devastating impact on Hawaii businesses, particularly small businesses.” The bill goes on to say: ”While Act 196 achieved one of its purposes–-to generate a one-time windfall of revenue to the state–-the long-term effect has been to hinder Hawaii's economic recovery by placing an undue burden on the business sector.”
The bill also addresses the elimination of an electronic filing fee for paying taxes online: “Electronic filing of all documents will allow taxpayers, particularly businesses, to accomplish the filing in a timely and cost-efficient manner. For the state, electronic filing will decrease administrative costs and make more efficient use of human and fiscal department resources for more important issues, such as delinquent tax collections and enforcement.”
With all the benefits earmarked in this bill for helping the economy, businesses and the state, why would the deadline to make these changed be delayed to July 1, 2013, with a bill that has an effective date of July 1, 2112?
It seems waiting for more than 2 years or perhaps more than 100 years is just too long for government to right a wrong.
The next public hearing on HB1300 is scheduled in the Senate committee on Economic Development and Technology (EDT) on Monday, March 21, 2011, at 1:15 p.m. in conference room 016.
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