If you own a home and you've already done your state taxes, you might want to look into
getting a form to file an amended return... you may be able to subtract more from the
the amount of income the state taxed you on this year.
Over the last few weeks, we amended a House bill one way and then back the other way in an attempt to decide what was better for tax payers. We call it "going to the 14th order" here in the Senate when we amend a bill. Senator Hill as chairman of the Senate tax committee patiently spoke first for and then against letting more people NOT pay income taxes on the money they spend on property taxes.
Obviously this is good for modest income homeowners who might not be able to deduct a bunch of charitable donations on top of big mortgage interest, medical bills and the like. What it does though is take $2 million out of budgets that will mean deeper cuts in state employee pay, lost jobs or larger class sizes in schools or college classrooms.
Not a fun choice for any of us to make. As a property tax payer who does not have enough spending to itemize, I might have benefited from a yes vote. As a member of the budget committee who has watched the knives fall into place, slicing through parts of state budgets that Idahoans depend on for jobs and medical care... I was one of ten Democrats and Republicans who couldn't vote yes.
I'm still torn. Most the time it is clear as the desk in front of you, on occasion though some people gain while others clearly lose. But as you sit there on the Senate floor and the Senate secretary calls your name, you have to choose one word: yes or no.
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