House passes local 'tax transparency' bill
In a late-session decision, the Massachusetts House has come around to the idea of requiring cities and towns to disclose tax breaks being delivered at the local level.
The House on Monday approved an amended version of tax transparency legislation that requires the Department of Revenue's Division of Local Services to report on any tax exemptions, deferrals or reductions from locally assessed taxes. Under the bill, offered as a redraft by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Brian Dempsey, the report would be based on information submitted by local boards of assessors and would be due from the state revenue department by Jan. 31, 2016.
The original bill, sponsored by Revenue Committee Co-chair Rep. Jay Kaufman, languished in the Ways and Means Committee for 18 months before it began moving this month. Under Kaufman's bill, findings would have been due this month. There are three-plus weeks remaining before the 2013-2014 session ends and a new session begins Jan. 7.
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