It's Time to Give Hard Working Citizens and Seniors Tax Relief

Over the last several weeks, I have been working hard to provide tax relief to the residents of Michigan. I, along with Reps. Jim Tedder of Clarkston and Roger Hauck of Union Township, have introduced a package of bills that will put more of your hard-earned dollars back in your pocket.

Since the federal government’s passage of their tax relief plan in late December, we have noticed some unintended consequences affecting our state. House Bills 5420-5422 aim to fix these issues while providing additional tax relief, particularly for our seniors.

House Bill 5420 ensures that a tax filer can continue to claim the Michigan personal exemption. Further, it will gradually increase the exemption from the current $4,000 to $4,800 in tax year 2020. This will put taxpayer dollars back into taxpayer’s hands, one of my priorities I am proud to take part in.

My bill, House Bill 5421, fixes a technicality amending the City Income Tax Act. It replaces references to the federal tax code with references to the state Income Tax Act, determining the personal exemption. This allows people who live and work in a city with a city income tax to still qualify for the personal exemption.

House Bill 5422 allows individuals age 62 or older to claim a $100 tax credit on Michigan income tax returns. I believe it is time we give seniors back some of their hard-earned money. The beauty of this portion of our tax plan is that any senior, regardless of income, will qualify for this senior tax credit.

The bills were voted out of the Michigan House last week, and now move to the Senate for consideration. I am very proud to be a part of this bill package and have the opportunity to give some taxpayer dollars back to the hard-working citizens of Michigan.