Fixing D.C.’s tax code the subject of upcoming hearing

Maybe you have an idea or 50 about how to improve D.C.’s tax policy. Now is the time to write those up.

The D.C. Tax Revision Commission will hold a public hearing next month to receive public testimony on how to make the District’s tax code more fair and more competitive.

The commission, led by former Mayor Anthony Williams, is looking for ideas on how to modernize and simplify the code, provide for fairness in the apportionment of taxes, broaden the tax base, make the District’s tax policy more competitive with surrounding jurisdictions, and encourage business growth and job creation.

The hearing will run from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 24 at 441 Fourth St. NW, Room 1107. Oral testimony will be limited to three minutes, but you can type up a book and submit it if need be.

The 11-member commission has held about a dozen public meetings since last September on a variety of subjects — business and individual income taxes, regional tax comparisons, D.C.’s economic competitiveness, tax incentives, fiscal trends, capital gains, real property taxes and more.

Those meetings, future meetings and the public hearing will eventually culminate in a report from the commission on improving the tax code — tentatively scheduled for adoption in December. Whether the executive and legislative branches implement those suggestions is another matter.

The D.C. Council on Wednesday approved $200,000 for the commission to continue its work through December, bringing the total cost of the tax review to $1 million.

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