Who: Reps. Mark Eves, D-North Berwick, Rep. Tom Wright, D-Berwick, Maine House Majority Leader John Piotti, D-Unity
What: Public Forum on the new tax reform law, L.D. 1495
When: Wednesday, August 26th at 6 p.m.
Where: Lecture Hall, Noble High School in N. Berwick, 388 Somersworth Rd.
A forum on the new tax reform law that lowers the overall tax burden on 87 percent of Mainers will be held on August 26th at the Noble High School Lecture Hall, 388 Somersworth Road in North Berwick at 6 pm. Two local representatives will be on hand to present the new law and answer questions about it. Rep. Mark Eves, D-North Berwick, and Rep. Tom Wright, D-Berwick, will be joined by Maine House Majority Leader John Piotti, a former House Chair of the Legislature’s Taxation Committee and sponsor of the legislation.
The new law drops the top income tax rate from 8.5 percent to 6.5 percent for taxpayers making $250,000 and under, and from 8.5 percent to 6.85 percent on any amount over $250,000. It also drops the state’s capital gains rate from 8.5 to 6.5 percent, and pays for it by moderately expanding the sales tax base to capture more tax revenue from out of state visitors.
The legislation also removed the meals tax on prepared meals in assisted living facilities, will increase participation in the state’s popular “Circuit Breaker” program by including the application on the tax form, and made the Earned Income Tax Credit refundable to low income tax payers.
The forum will be an opportunity to get your questions answered on Maine’s new tax code and how it will impact both residents and businesses. For more information on tax reform, visit: www.mainetaxreform.org.
LD 1495 is a cleverly worded bill which leads you to believe that it is reducing your annual income taxes (for those who pay income taxes -most will see a decrease which amounts to less then $200 a year). The bill leads you to believe that the savings will be paid for by tourist or out of Staters with the “new expansion” of sales taxes on many items. I’m still trying to figure out how taxing labor will be paid for by tourist (everything from repairing computers to repairing your automobile to dry cleaning, house cleaning…. the list is 2 pages long on new taxes) The vast majority of these “new” taxes will be paid for by Maine tax payers (not tourist).
LD 1495 was passed as a 100% democrat supported bill with no support or reaching out to work with the other party. If you want to seek information regarding this new tax bill from the other side of the political party please attend a Town Hall style meeting Saturday August 15 at the Eliot Congregational Church on State Road from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. This meeting is being put on by Republican law makers and the guest speaker will be CPA Albert DiMillo from Portland who has over 30 years of tax experience. He has spent over 150 hours looking at this new tax bill and how it will “really” effect Maine tax payers- it is a shocking difference from what is being sold to us from the people who passed this new tax bill. Please refer to Fosters Daily Democrat, August 13, 2009 issue, page C6 for further information.
There is a current petition drive to overturn LD 1495 going on statewide and if enough signatures can be collected this can be placed on a Peoples Referendum Veto Ballot in June of 2010. Petition drives are being done at these local businesses : Autoworks in Kittery, Eliot Small Engine in Eliot, Village Motors in So. Berwick.