Perdue’s proposed plan startles mountain recreation industry
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Read more … Greensboro News and Record
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STATEWIDE–The North Carolina legislature is divided over ways to attack the state’s $4 billion budget shortfall. They’re a long way apart.
Writes Mark Binker of the Greensboro News and Record:
“Senators favor a rewrite of the tax code that lowers income and sales tax rates but taxes more items. House budget writers are leery of those changes and would rely more on raising the sales tax rate and creating new upper-end income taxes.”
In an effort to bridge the divide, Governor Beverly Perdue floated a tax plan of her own this week, and at least one of its provisions would have an impact on the mountain tourism industry.
Among the changes Perdue suggests:
- Reducing the top three income tax rates but adding a temporary “emergency surcharge” for high income earners, defined as $500,000 for a single taxpayer.
- Adding an “emergency” 1 cent sales tax that would end on Sept. 30, 2010
- Applying the sales tax to a bevy of new items, including certain online purchases, courier services and plastic surgery.
- Raising taxes on cigarettes by 50-cents per pack and raising taxes on beer, wine and spirits.
Among the items and services that might see added taxes are recreation and entertainment venues. While the specifics are still being knocked around, its safe to say that big ticket items like rafting trips, train rides and so forth would make the list.
The Nantahala Outdoor Center’s Charles Conner told the Hendersonville Times News: “We believe such legislation threatens the state’s tourism industry as a whole, and we admire the efforts of our peers statewide as we all battle the ongoing economic slowdown.”
Tags: beverly perdue, Governor Beverly Perdue, Greensboro News and Record, Hendersonville Times-News, income tax rates, mountain tourism, Nantahala, Nantahala Outdoor Center, North Carolina, north carolina legislature, Tourism, tourism industry
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