March 22, 2017
On March 22, 2017, Kay Hill, EA and Angela Radic, EA testified before the Ohio House Ways and Means Committee to offer support for Governor John Kasich’s (R-OH) proposed reforms to centralize the collection and filing of municipal business net profit tax returns through the Ohio Business Gateway (OBG) and the Ohio Department of Taxation. According to Hill and Radic, Ohio has over 600 municipal tax districts and the current filing process for businesses operating in multiple districts is cumbersome and paper-intensive.
Hill and Radic did temper their endorsement of the proposed reforms with the caveat that the Ohio Business Gateway (OBG), the platform that would be used for the centralized filing system, must be bolstered to support the additional traffic that the system would bear. OBG is currently prone to shut-downs and lock-outs, which can make its use frustrating for individuals and tax professionals.
Members of the committee posed questions to Hill and Radic on whether the existing e-file system could be expanded to accomplish the same goal of making improvements to the state’s tax administration system, and whether there are additional tax preparation fees that business owners must bear under the current system.
NAEA commends Angela and Kay on their joint effort to represent enrolled agents and their tax expertise in Ohio before the committee.