Posted: | April 22, 2021 11:03 AM |
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From: | Representative Jason Ortitay |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Integrity and Transparency in the Administration of Tax Credit and Tax Benefit Programs |
While the popularity of tax credit and tax benefit programs has increased in the past few years, the corresponding mechanisms to ensure that the programs are used for their intended purpose has not kept pace. This legislation would increase the accountability of tax credit and tax benefit programs by giving agencies sufficient tools to properly verify applications, requiring agencies to adequately train their employees in the operation of the programs, and establishing a tax credit broker registration requirement. These reforms are based on the recommendations of a 2019 Grand Jury that investigated a sophisticated scam to steal $10 million in tax credits. Additionally, this legislation will provide the citizens of the Commonwealth and our policymakers further insight into the use of the tax credit and tax benefit programs though the standardization of annual reports that will disclose the recipients, the amount of benefits awarded, and increased jobs and economic activity attributable to the programs. The final component of this legislation would provide applicants of tax credit programs —for the first time—an avenue to appeal an agency’s denial of a tax credit application. We must be judicious with taxpayers’ money and enact reforms to tax credit and tax benefit programs to ensure that they are carried out in a financially efficient manner. I look forward to working with you on this important legislation. |
Introduced as HB1303