Biz Tax Study Ranks Arkansas An Unimpressive 31st! (UPDATED!)

January 25, 2012
Business tax rankings for all 50 states

We have established before how much I like the Tax Foundation's studies and maps as a tool for exploring tax policy. In fact, when it comes right down to it, the Tax Foundation should probably be paying me for how frequently I pimp their work around here. As Arkansas lawmakers gear up for a legislative session devoted strictly to budget matters, they should read this humdinger of a new study ranking all 50 states by the Tax Foundation "Business Tax Climate Index." The index is a magic … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Arkansas Legislature, Gallery, Tax Reform Tagged With: ,

That Pesky Medical Device Tax: A Medical Manufacturing Insider Speaks Out!

January 24, 2012
Medical device tax

We wrote here previously about the medical device tax tucked deep inside 2010 health care bill (Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, pick your poison). That’s a 2.3 percent levy on sales of all kinds of medical devices used in diagnosis and treatment (excluding items sold directly to consumers over the counter, like Band-Aids and such), expected to generate $20 billion over 10 years. After my earlier post, I heard from some folks at Cook Medical, a medical device manufacturer located in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gallery, Health Care Reform, Tax Reform Tagged With: , ,

Checking In On Arkansas Taxes: Yep, Still High!

January 12, 2012
Nationwide sales tax map

Because it's been some time since we checked in on the heavy tax burden on Arkansans...hey, look at this! The Tax Foundation, whose work I flack mercilessly on this site, has issued their latest map showing the distribution of sales tax rates nationwide, broken down by zip code. Arkansas shows up rather red, reflecting higher sales tax rates around the state. This isn't anything you don't already know—you'll recall that just a few months back we saw that the Natural State has the 7th … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tax Reform Tagged With: , ,

Tanning Industry Burned by Obamacare Tax! (Updated!)

December 6, 2011
Tanning industry burned by Obamacare tax!

Though the Arkansas health insurance benefits exchange has been declared DOA, we must remain on guard for all the still-awful Obamacare wrinkles that this shoddily drafted law will visit upon us for lo these many years to come. This is your life now, so you might as well learn to cope with it. Today's focus: The tanning tax! While cobbling together the health care reform bill in 2009-2010, Congresspeople hit upon the idea of slapping a 10 percent excise tax on indoor tanning services. It … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Health Care Reform, Tax Reform, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Should Arkansas Lower Income Tax Rates? Let’s Go With ‘Yes’

November 28, 2011
Tax foundation state income tax map

Our friend Roby Brock over at Talk Business bursts out of the post-holiday gate today with a good report on a leading state lawmaker's proposals to reform the Arkansas tax code. Rep. Davy Carter, a Republican who heads up the House Revenue and Tax Committee, tells Talk Business he wants to explore ways to reduce the income tax burden on Arkansas taxpayers by reducing or eliminating any of the various sales tax exemptions and exclusions on the books. This is a good idea! Carter notes, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tax Reform Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Study: Now Let’s Reform Disastrous Unemployment Insurance Program To Make It Somewhat Less Disastrous

October 17, 2011
Unemployment insurance, what a mess

Ugh, the Arkansas unemployment insurance (UI) system, what a mess, am I right, people? What, oh, what could ever be done to fix such a terrible program, that is what you are sitting around wondering today, right now. You need wonder no longer, because the crackerjack policy wonks at the Tax Foundation have published an extensive new report focusing on insolvency in state unemployment insurance programs and what can be done to address the problem. You know it's authoritative because it is 32 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: State Government is Too Damn Big Tagged With: , , ,

Sales Tax Study: We’re Number Seven! We’re Number Seven!

September 23, 2011
Tax Foundation state and local sales tax map

A new study from the nonpartisan Tax Foundation ranks states for combined state and local sales tax rates, and ye olde Natural State checks in with one of the lowest rates in the nation! No, of course that's not true. Arkansas clocks in with a combined state and local sales tax rate of some 8.5 percent, putting us at number 7 in the entire United States. Hooray! But fear not! Your state and local governments are hard at it putting taxpayer dollars to work on behalf of the people, with a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gov. Mike Beebe, State Government is Too Damn Big, Tax Reform Tagged With: , ,

Amazon, California Cut Deal on Online Sales Tax

September 8, 2011

It's been a couple of weeks since I've annoyed readers with a post on the Amazon sales tax targeting web retailers, so, hey, here's a new wrinkle: In California, Amazon.com has reached a deal with legislators to delay collections of the online sales tax for a year. In exchange, the online retailing behemoth will back off their effort to overturn the new law via referendum (an effort in which Amazon's already spent some $5 million). In the Los Angeles Times, a Golden State lawmaker describes … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tax Reform Tagged With: , , , , ,
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