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The Idaho State Tax Commission

Background

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The Idaho State Tax Commission is part of the executive branch.  Its four commissioners are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate.  Each commissioner serves a six year term.  The commission enforces Idaho’s tax laws and works to educate the public about their role in the state tax structure.

There are four divisions of tax commission: audit and collections, revenue operations, property tax and general services.

  • Audit and Collections employees make up roughly half of the Tax Commission, and are responsible for enforcement actions, including audits, tracking non-filers, and collecting unpaid accounts.
  • Revenue Operations processes tax returns and payments. It’s the second largest division in the Tax Commission.
  • Property Tax appraises public utilities and provides technical assistance and education for Idaho’s counties to help them administer the property tax system. The Tax Commission conducts studies each year to determine whether counties are in compliance with state guidelines for proper administration of the property appraisal and taxing system.
  • General Services consists of Legal and Tax Policy, Information Technology, Management Services, Human Resources, and Taxpayer Services.

Source: Idaho Tax Commission

The current commissioners are Tom Katsilometes, David Langhorst and Rich Jackson.  Republican House leader Ken Roberts was appointed to the commission by Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter in July, that appointment requires legislative confirmation.

Latest Posts

N. Idaho Tax Protester Responds to Federal Lawsuit

An Idaho lawmaker who is being sued by the federal government for unpaid taxes claims the IRS was wrong in asking him to pay eight years’ worth of business deductions.  The Coeur d’Alene Press reports Rep. Phil Hart (R-Athol) responded to the federal government’s lawsuit through court documents Thursday. Here’s The Coeur d’Alene Press report: […]

Republican Lawmaker Considering a Tobacco Tax Increase Bill

The Idaho Business Review and IdahoReporter.com are reporting that Representative Dennis Lake (R-Blackfoot) is working with a coalition headed by the American Cancer Society to raise Idaho’s tobacco tax next year. The state currently charges a 57 cent tax on a pack of cigarettes, which is the one of the lowest tax rates in the […]

Tax Credit Tradeoff Elusive To Measure

This week I’ve been looking at some of Idaho’s business tax credits.  I spoke with a non-partisan expert, the state Department of Commerce, a state tax expert and a business owner.  I wanted to better understand the kind of tradeoffs the state is willing to make in order to develop new industries and expand existing […]

Idaho’s 5 Most Popular Business Tax Incentives

Idaho offers nine different tax credit programs for businesses.  We’re highlighting the five most popular.  The investment tax credit is used far more than any other credit-type incentive.  In 2009, businesses collected more than $26 million under that credit alone, according to the Division of Financial Management. Here’s a look at the other most frequently used […]

One Take on How Tax Incentives Work

Michael Mazerov is a Senior Fellow with the State Fiscal Project at The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.  I contacted the center to discuss the potential shortfalls of Idaho tax incentive programs after coming across this article. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is a non-partisan research and policy institute which works at […]

Idaho’s Investment Tax Credit Explained

Idaho’s most popular tax incentive is the three percent investment tax credit.  Businesses that purchase qualifying new equipment can earn an income tax credit.  The credit can offset up to half of a company’s state income tax liability and can be carried forward up to 14 years. Dan John manages tax policy at the Idaho […]

Idaho Tax Incentives: What’s the Tradeoff?

The Idaho Department of Commerce homepage makes no bones about it. They want to recruit new businesses to the Gem State and encourage existing companies to expand by offering a slew of tax credits and incentives to make it happen. The Commerce Department’s website lists 18 different business incentive programs.  Many of them are broad […]

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