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Former Senate president, DOR director Greene dies
A Department of Revenue spokesman said Greene died last night. He did not have any information on the cause of death. Greene was 65 years old.
Doing no harm: Tax overhaul effort stalls over vague goals, concerns about middle class
After four weeks and three meetings of a task force with intentions to reform, tweak, or overhaul Arizona’s personal income tax system, the members of the group don’t seem closer to deciding what, exactly, they want to accomplish.
Senate approves sales tax reform compromise
By a 29-0 vote, the state Senate late Thursday approved Gov. Jan Brewer’s sales tax overhaul proposal after she obtained the buy-in of Arizona cities and towns.
TPT plan gets Arizona closer, but not close enough for online sales tax
Even if Gov. Jan Brewer’s sales tax reform bill passes this year, Arizona will still have some work to do before it can reap the benefits of proposed federal legislation allowing states to collect sales taxes for online purchases.
Mayors unveil own sales tax simplification plan
Mayors of Arizona cities offered an alternative plan to simplify the state’s sales tax code today, hours before a Senate panel began tackling key provisions of Gov. Jan Brewer’s proposal.
Two scenarios forecast widely different effects of sales tax reform
Gov. Jan Brewer’s proposal to simplify the state’s sales tax system could increase state revenues slightly or carry a hefty price tag depending on which estimate of the Legislature’s budget research arm proves correct.
Brewer pitches compromise in sales tax simplification plan
The outlines of a potential compromise between municipalities and supporters of a bill that seeks to simplify the state’s sales tax system emerged this month, a few days after the governor’s office pitched the idea to mayors.
Brewer unveils sales tax bill
Gov. Jan Brewer today announced her plans for simplifying Arizona’s complicated sales tax system, which followed recommendations from a task force on eliminating the multiple jurisdictions and layers of bureaucracy that businesses face in paying transaction privilege taxes.
Cutbacks at DOR cost state millions in uncollected taxes
Based on unofficial estimates, the state missed out on more than $100 million in tax collections last year because the Legislature's cutbacks forced the Arizona Department of Revenue to lay off hundreds of employees, including auditors and tax collectors.
Department of Revenue puts layoff plan on hold
Gambling that Arizona lawmakers will approve its funding in time, the state tax collection agency is shelving plans to lay off more than half its staff early this month. After Gov. Jan Brewer's vetoed some of the Department of Revenue's funding in September to kill an unrelated provision of the same bill, Director Gale Garriott said the department would probably have to lay off 450 of its 710 w[...]
Some agencies avoid submitting reduction reports
When drafting reports to show the impact of 15 percent cuts to their budgets, some state agencies described how their services would be gutted. Some simply explained why such cuts aren't feasible. And others, such as the Governor's Office, which ordered the reports, don't seem to know where to even make the cuts.
Bare-bones Revenue Department would eliminate audits
An unintended consequence of a veto last month means the state agency tasked with collecting taxes is on the verge of laying off more than half of its staff, barring a budget fix to allow access to all of the money lawmakers gave it earlier this year. Anthony Forschino, the agency's assistant director, said the layoffs would still allow the Department of Revenue to function, but in a bare-bones[...]
