US Tax Court Nominations and Property Tax Trials and Tribulations
On Capitol Hill today. The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing this morning on three nominations to the US Tax Court: Jeffrey Samuel Arbeit, of the District of Columbia, Benjamin Guider, III, of Louisiana, and Cathy Fung, of California.
In Florida, a county school board is at odds with the county commissioners. The Hillsborough CountyBoard of County Commissioners and the Hillsborough County School Board are at odds over a tax increase. The school board voted to put a 1 mill property tax increase on the November 2024 ballot; revenues would fund teacher salaries. But the county commissioners voted to put the referendum on the November 2026 ballot. The school district has requested court intervention to settle the dispute.
Spokane voters will consider two sales tax measures in November. Spokane County Commissioners approved the addition of a one-tenth of one percent sales tax renewal measure to the November ballot. Revenue from the tax would fund the operation, maintenance, and repair of the county’s juvenile detention center. Spokane’s city council has also approved a separate one-tenth of one percent sales tax measure to fund public safety departments.
Maybe a property tax increase in St. Louis. The St. Louis Public School District school board wants additional revenue to cover increased operating costs. The proposed property tax increase would fund recently approved teacher pay raises—about a 20 percent raise over the next three years. District taxpayers currently pay $4.05 per $100 of assessed property. Voters approved a ceiling on their school taxes in 2016, so the board’s request cannot exceed $4.50 per $100 of assessed value. The board will hold a hearing on the tax in September.
To boost the economy, the German government hopes to boost tax relief. Germany’s cabinet approved a plan to increase annual tax relief to almost €21 billion(about $22 billion), up from a previous plan for €12.8 billion in relief. The plan still requires the approval of both houses of the German parliament later this year.
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