Estate Planning

NC Income and Sales Tax Changes Considered

By Gregory Herman-Giddens

The North Carolina Senate Finance Committee is reviewing a plan to cut income and sales taxes while instituting new sales taxes on certain services.

For income taxes, the top rate would drop from 7.75% to 7.5%, while the lowest rate would decrease from 6% to 5.25%.  The calculation of income taxes would also be made easier, using the federal adjusted gross income without having to make further changes to determine the NC taxable income.  Credits would be allowed for charitable contributions and home mortgages, and the child tax credit would increase $25 to $125.

Corporate income tax rates, currently 6.9%, would be reduced over a two year period to 4.5%, but limited liability companies would be required to pay franchise taxes.  The could be bad news for for LLC owners, would are currently required to $200 annually to the state for the privilege of operating the company.

And, to the benefit of professionals and other business owners, state and local privilege licenses would be eliminated.

Finally, the state sales tax would be lowered from 6.75% to 6.00%.  Many counties, however, have local rates than are higher.  Sales taxes would be instituted on heretofore untaxed services/items such as building repairs, extended warranties, and downloaded music and software.

Full post as published by North Carolina Estate Planning Blog on April 24, 2009 (boomark / email).