This week’s tax filing deadline has sparked a new round of arguing between Democrats and Republicans about taxes with an eye toward elections later this year.
Democrats hope to use the issue of taxes to their advantage in the November elections. State House Democrats called attention to Michigan’s new tax on pension income and the loss of deductions and credits for charitable donations, raising children, and low-income households.
Representative Mark Meadows says some of those tax breaks should be restored and funded with a projected budget surplus.
“I think what’s fair is to return that money right now to them that we’ve shown we do not need it,” he says. “We’re moving toward a system where everyone is going to be paying more fairly and more equally across the board.”
Ari Adler is the spokesman for state House Republicans. He says the tax overhaul is more fair because it treats all income the same, and that a tax cut to many businesses is already spurring new jobs.