Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed the state’s Fiscal Year 2015 budget bill. The bill authorizes a tax amnesty program, along with other business tax changes.
The budget contains significant new provisions. Specifically, the budget contains a tax amnesty program that will run for two consecutive months within Fiscal Year 2015. Which two months are yet to be determined. The program holds that all penalties assessed against a taxpayer for past due taxes will be waived if the taxpayer pays any outstanding tax liabilities by June 30, 2015. The program applies to a wide range of taxes, including:
- Sales and use tax
- Sales tax on telecommunications services
- Meals tax and meals tax local option
- Personal income tax withholding
- Pass-through entity withholding
- Deeds excise tax
- Convention center financing fees on room occupancy in certain cities
- Gasoline and special fuels excises
The program holds that if a taxpayer does not pay the full liability before the amnesty deadline of June 30, 2015, Massachusetts will retain any payments made and apply them against the taxpayer’s existing tax liability and penalties.
Also, any taxpayer who participates in the amnesty program may not engage in a future state tax amnesty program for the next 10 consecutive years, beginning in 2015.
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