(The Heart Sq.) – The Kansas Legislature is contemplating two payments that would offer direct advantages to companies that had been shut down or restricted in the course of the COVID-19 the pandemic.
Senate Invoice 149 would enable for county governments to reimburse companies the property taxes they paid whereas shut down below county restrictions. Senate Invoice 286 would require the state to reimburse a portion of property taxes paid whereas companies had been shut down, in addition to give enterprise homeowners the flexibility to say credit score for as much as 10 years on their property tax legal responsibility.
“Companies which have been shut down or restricted in the course of the pandemic who’re listening to this are ready for what potential legislative repair arises,” Eric Stafford, vp of Authorities Affairs on the Kansas Chamber, informed The Heart Sq.. “Underneath present Kansas regulation, if neither of those payments move, these companies have a proper to reimbursement to be used of their facility.”
Stafford stated he thinks SB286 is extra prone to move than SB149, and there are nonetheless some particulars within the invoice that should be refined.
An settlement has been reached between companies that had been suing the state for income losses in the course of the pandemic and the state’s lawyer basic to permit the legislature to resolve the matter this session. Underneath present Kansas regulation, if neither of those payments passes this session, these companies that initially filed go well with have a proper to reimbursement for using their facility.
“It isn’t unreasonable for a enterprise proprietor that was pressured to shut to say, ‘Properly if you are going to shut me or preserve me restricted for six months, why do I nonetheless owe my full property tax burden?” Stafford stated. “In our view, it is undoubtedly affordable to grasp the predicament the present regulation locations native governments in by means of the shutdown whereas on the identical time offering the profit to the taxpayer who suffered during the last 12 months.”
