PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The city's Tax Reform Commission is expected to deliver a report to City Council and the mayor's office, later this month, after a year of considering changes to Philadelphia's tax structure. But the Commission's advisory committee got out in front—delivering its report on Wednesday.
The Tax Reform Commission's advisory committee has 23 members from academic and community groups, specified in the city charter.
The advisory committee recommends half a dozen tax cuts, such as wage tax credits for low-income workers, rebates for renters equivalent to the homestead property tax exemption, and business tax exemptions for more small businesses. But mainly, coordinator Stan Shapiro says, the committee opposes across-the-board cuts in the business tax, because that would disproportionately benefit the city's largest corporations.
"The charter provision which sets up the Commission specifically says that its recommendations must take into consideration equity and fairness in the apportionment of tax burdens," Shapiro said. "The committee felt that recommendation would not meet that test."
He says the charter also requires that the Commission take the advisory committee's recommendation into account when issuing its report.
"We just wanted to be sure that the public had the benefit of this other point of view."
Mayor Parker said she would take the advisory committee's recommendations into account, along with the Commission's report, whenever it's delivered, with the goal of making the city more competitive.
"We want the creation of good jobs and, yes, tax reform has to be a part of that solution," Parker said.
She promised more details in her budget address next month.
