Maryland Business Tax Reform Commission

The Commission was established by Senate Bill 2 (Chapter 3) Tax Reform Act of 2007, during the 2007 Special Session.

1. The charge of the Commission is to:

• Review and evaluate the current business tax structure,
  1. Make specific recommendations for changes to the State's business tax structure;
  2. Recommendations may include, without limitations, tax rate changes, tax base broadening, measures to address tax avoidance, and elimination of ineffective tax policies intended as development incentives.

• The study, at a minimum, should include a review and evaluation of the following options:
  1. Imposition of combined reporting, utilizing the "water's edge method" for unitary groups of affiliated corporations,
  2. Imposition of other business taxes including gross receipts taxes, value added taxes and alternative minimum taxing,
  3. Improved methods for evaluating the effectiveness of tax policies intended as economic development incentives.

2. Members of the Commission:

• May not receive compensation,
• Are entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State Travel Regulations.

3. The Commission will submit an interim report of its findings and recommendations, to the Governor and the General Assembly, on or before December 15, 2010.

4. The Commission will submit a final report of its findings and recommendations, to the Governor and the General Assembly, on or before December 15, 2011.

Maryland Business Tax Reform Commission 2009 meeting dates:

May 13, 2009

• Agenda
• Meeting Minutes
• Overview of Maryland Tax Structure
• Real and Personal Property Assessment Data

June 4, 2009

• Agenda
• Meeting Minutes
• Cost Presentation

  Doug Lindholm reference in FN 5

• FTA Presentation
• MBTRC Presentation

July 9, 2009

• Agenda
• Meeting Minutes
• Speaker Introduction
• State Business Tax Developments/Robert Cline
• Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy/Jeff McLynch
• Maryland Association of CPAs/Beverly Richard

No meeting in August

September 10, 2009

• Agenda
• Gross Receipts Tax Overview
• Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax Overview
• Proposed Subcommittees
• Alternative to Proposed Subcommittees

October 1, 2009

• Agenda
• Analysis of Tax Year 2006 Maryland Corporate Information Reports
• Subcommittee Assignment

Maryland Business Tax Reform Commission e-mail address BTRC@comp.state.md.us