Michigan House Bill Could Limit Income Taxes To Where You Live
For example, if you are like me and live in Jackson but work in Lansing, this could benefit you.
The Bill Itself
According to WILX this bill in the Michigan House of Representatives would make it so city income taxes were to only be paid by people who live within that city's limits.
This comes into play, especially locally, where if you work in one city but reside in another, your income is also taxed in the city in which you work.
While this bill is not up for a vote yet, it does still have its fair share of supporters as well as some opposition.
What Supporters Have To Say
At first glance, being someone in a position where this would benefit me, personally, I was in support of this. However, I know this goes deeper than just me and now I don't know how to feel.
According to WILX, supporters do say that because people feel they are already taxed enough as it is based on where they live, they don't feel it's right to be taxed where they work. You know to make the money...to pay those taxes.
It also raises the point of "taxation without representation," as Representative Pamela Hornberger explained.
Basically, according to WILX, supporters feel they should not have to pay taxes to an area they can not vote or have a say in what those taxes are used for in.
On The Other Hand...
While the supporters do raise some valid points, so do those on the other side of the issue.
The pandemic really affected how much of a budget individual communities and cities had to work with and Director of State and Federal Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League, Chris Hackbarth, told WILX this would be another major hit against them.
A spokesperson also told WILX, "People who work in the city but don’t live there still use public infrastructure and city services so it’s only fair to ask them to help pay for it."
Honestly, that right there was the main counterpoint I brought up this morning, I use the public infrastructure in Lansing almost the same amount, if not more, than I do back home in Jackson so it is only fair I contribute.
Where Do You Stand?
At this point, I am stuck in the middle.
On one hand, it would be nice as this is a bill that would directly impact me in a positive way. On the other, the way it would negatively impact another community I am directly involved in is not fair either.
That being said, if I did have a say in how my taxes are used where I work, in the Lansing area, here are some suggestions:
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