Today, the DC Tax Revision Commission Chair Anthony Williams again stopped a final vote on the commission’s current draft of policy recommendations, further delaying the conclusion of the group’s work that is already more than a year past deadline. Williams referred to conversations with external stakeholders that led him to believe “additional research” is needed to produce alternative recommendations, although he would not say who these stakeholders are or what research is required.
Erica Williams, Executive Director of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute and a member of Tax Revision Commission released the following statement:
“It’s very disappointing to be at this place nearly two and a half years after our appointment as a commission. We set out to develop tax policy recommendations that are rooted in evidence, get feedback and input from an array of sectors and stakeholders, and compromise between the range of perspectives and priorities in the room. We arrived at a package of proposals that followed that process and met the charge of the commission around base broadening, progressivity and racial equity, business competitiveness, and simple and transparent tax administration.
“But now the chair is calling for additional research on unknown topics seemingly because the extensive research and analysis we have doesn’t reach the desired conclusions of unknown stakeholders. This is a public body, engaged in a public process, and its conversations should be held in public eye with a chance for all to weigh in. That was the case up until this year, and at the many public hearings we held, there was no significant opposition to the major components of our draft recommendations. Much was done to address concerns that were raised.
“Ultimately, it’s DC’s elected officials that will make changes to the tax code and I hope they will use the recommendations the commission’s sound research has produced—including an expansion of DC’s new child tax credit, getting rid of tax breaks that are no longer worthwhile, and a business activity tax that is fairer to business owned by DC residents. These proposals are pragmatic in a fiscally challenging time and would make the tax code more equitable and more resilient for a post-COVID economy.”
At today’s meeting, Anthony Williams announced the commission would meet again in a week to discuss what other tax policy ideas to pursue and what research to pursue in the coming three months.