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MINUTES OF THE

HOUSE REVENUE AND TAXATION

STANDING COMMITTEE

Room W135 - West Office Building, State Capitol Complex


                     January 22, 2007

MEMBERS PRESENT:     Rep. John Dougall, Chair
                Rep. Craig A. Frank, Vice Chair
                Rep. Roger Barrus
                Rep. Ron Bigelow                
                Rep. Tim M. Cosgrove
                 Rep. Wayne A. Harper                      
                 Rep. Gregory H. Hughes
                Rep. Christine Johnson
                Rep. Bradley G. Last                 
                Rep. Roz McGee
                 Rep. Carol Spackman Moss                           
                 Rep. Merlynn T. Newbold                         
                Rep. Gordon E. Snow
                Rep. Aaron Tilton
                Rep. Carl Wimmer         

STAFF:            Bryant Howe, Assistant Director
                Rosemary Young, Secretary
                    
Note:    A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

Rep. Dougall called the meeting to order at 8:03 am. Commissioner Bruce Johnson of the Utah State Tax Commission was asked to explain how payment of taxes is not voluntary even though the collection of some taxes may be dependent on self reporting as in the case of income taxes.

MOTION:    Rep. Wimmer moved to approve the minutes of the January 16, 2007 meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Cosgrove, Rep. Harper, Rep. Hughes, Rep. Last, Rep. Moss, Rep. Newbold, and Rep. Tilton absent for the vote.

H.B. 98    County Option Sales and Use Tax for Highways, Fixed Guideways, or Systems of Public Transit Amendments (Rep. C. Frank)

Rep. Frank assisted by Steve White, Utah County Commissioner, introduced H.B. 98 and explained it to the committee. Darrell Cook of the Mountainland Association of Governments spoke in favor of the bill.

MOTION:    Rep. Wimmer moved to transmit the bill with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Hughes, Rep. Last, Rep. Moss, and Rep. Tilton absent for the vote.



H.B. 226    Sales and Use Tax - Highways and Public Transportation Amendments (Rep. J. Dougall)

Rep. Dougall introduced H.B. 226 and explained it to the committee. Raylene Ireland representing Provo City spoke in favor of the bill. The following individuals spoke to the bill:

    Bruce Jones, General Counsel, Utah Transit Authority
    Larry Ellertson, Utah County Commissioner and member of the UTA Board
    Steve White, Utah County Commissioner

MOTION:    Rep. Harper moved to transmit the bill with a favorable recommendation.

SUBSTITUTE
MOTION:    
Rep. McGee moved to proceed to the next item on the agenda. The substitute motion failed with Rep. Barrus, Rep. Cosgrove, Rep. Johnson, Rep. McGee, Rep. Moss, and Rep. Snow voting in favor and Rep. Hughes and Rep. Tilton absent for the vote.

The original motion passed with Rep. Barrus, Rep. Cosgrove, Rep. Johnson, Rep. McGee, Rep. Moss, and Rep. Snow voting in opposition and Rep. Hughes and Rep. Tilton absent for the vote.

H.B. 282    Sales and Use Taxation of Food and Food Ingredients (Rep. M. Newbold)

Rep. Newbold introduced H.B. 282 and explained it to the committee. The following individuals spoke in favor of the bill:

    Linda Hilton, Coalition of Religious Communities
    Jim Olson, Retail Merchants Association and Utah Food Industry Association
    Mike Jerman, Utah Taxpayers Association

Spoke to the bill:

    Roger Tew, Utah League of Cities and Towns
    Brent Gardner, Utah Association of Counties
    Rod Marrelli, Executive Director, Utah State Tax Commission
    Dave Gessell, Vice President of the Utah Hospital Association
    Darrell Cook, Mountainland Association of Governments

MOTION:    Rep. Dougall moved to transmit the bill with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed with Rep. Johnson, Rep. McGee, and Rep. Moss voting in opposition.

H.B. 259    Mechanics Liens on Certain New Development Housing (Rep. P. Painter)

Rep. Painter introduced H.B. 259 with a handout and explained it to the committee with the

assistance of Attorney Steven Johnson.

MOTION:    Rep. Harper moved to transmit the bill with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously.     

H.B. 123     Tax Revisions (Rep. J. Dougall)

MOTION:    Rep. Cosgrove moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 1, Lines 18 through 26 :    

             18          .    enacts

  nonrefundable       tax credits allowed on the basis of filing status and the state sales and use tax

             19      rate for purposes of the Single Rate Individual Income Tax Act, including:
             20              .    requiring the apportionment of those tax credits for a nonresident individual or
             21      part-year resident individual;
  and      

             22              .    requiring the
{   Division of Finance   }        State Tax Commission       to make transfers from the General Fund to

             23      the Education Fund equal to the amount of those tax credits claimed;
             24     
{           .    requiring the State Tax Commission to report to the Division of Finance the

             25      amount of those tax credits claimed; and
             26              .    granting rulemaking authority to the State Tax Commission;
 
}

2.    Page 6, Line 182 through Page 7, Line 186 :    

             182          59-10-1206.1. Definitions -- Nonrefundable tax credits allowed on the basis of
             183      filing status and the state sales and use tax rate --
{   Division of Finance   }        Commission       to transfer from the

             184      General Fund into the Education Fund an amount equal to the amount of tax credits
             185      claimed
{   -- Commission to report to the Division of Finance the amount of tax credits

             186      claimed -- Commission rulemaking authority  
}
.

3.    Page 7, Lines 201 through 208 :    

             201          (2) Except as provided in Section 59-10-1206.9 and subject to Subsections (3) and (4),
             202      for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2007, a claimant:


             203          (a) who has a single filing status may claim a
  nonrefundable       tax credit equal to the product of:

             204          (i) $5,000; and
             205          (ii) the percentage listed in Subsection 59-12-103 (2)(a)(i); or
             206          (b) who has a joint filing status may claim a
  nonrefundable       tax credit equal to the product of:

             207          (i) $10,000; and
             208          (ii) the percentage listed in Subsection 59-12-103 (2)(a)(i).

4.    Page 8, Lines 219 through 226 :    

             219          (5)
{   (a) Subject to Subsection (5)(b), the Division of Finance   }        The commission       shall transfer at least

             220      annually from the General Fund into the Education Fund an amount equal to the amount of tax
             221      credits claimed in accordance with this section.
             222          
{   (b) The commission shall report to the Division of Finance the amount of tax credits

             223      claimed in accordance with this section.
             224          (6) In accordance with Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
             225      commission may make rules providing procedures for reporting to the Division of Finance the
             226      amount of tax credits claimed in accordance with this section.  
}


The motion passed unanimously.

Rep. Dougall introduced amended H.B. 123 and explained it to the committee with a handout. Arthur Sutherland from the Coalition of Religious Communities spoke against the bill. Mike Jerman, Utah Taxpayers Association, and Bruce Johnson, Utah State Tax Commission, speaking personally, spoke for the bill. The following individuals spoke to the bill:

    Courtney White, Utah Education Association
    Doug McDonald, Utah Issues (handout)
    Steven H. Peterson, Utah School Boards Association and Utah School Superintendents              Association
    Sarah Wilhelm, Voices for Utah Children

MOTION:    Rep. Hughes moved to transmit the amended bill with a favorable recommendation.

The motion passed with Rep. Cosgrove, Rep. Johnson, Rep. McGee, and Rep. Moss voting in opposition.

MOTION:    Rep. Hughes moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously.

Rep. Frank adjourned the meeting at 9:56 am.






                            __________________________
                            Rep. John Dougall, Chair