skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, December 2, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Heavy lake-effect snow dumps more than 5 feet over parts of Great Lakes region; Study: Fish farms consume far more wild fish than previously thought; Maryland's federal workers prepare to defend their jobs; Federal investments help bolster MA workforce training programs.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

President-elect Trump's pick to lead the FBI says he'll eradicate the "deep state," Democrats say President Biden's pardon of his son could haunt them, and new allegations surface regarding the man Trump has tapped to lead the Pentagon.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Residents in Colorado's rural communities face challenges to recycling, climate change and Oregon's megadrought are worrying firefighters, and a farm advocacy group says corporate greed is behind high food prices in Montana.

ME legislation aims to uncover corporate tax avoidance

play audio
Play

Wednesday, April 3, 2024   

Maine lawmakers are considering legislation to require corporations to reveal the amount of state income taxes they pay.

Supporters of the bill say more state level data are needed to determine the extent of corporate tax avoidance.

Maura Pillsbury, tax policy analyst for the Maine Center for Economic Policy, said too often corporations use tax loopholes and accounting schemes to avoid state taxes while benefiting from millions of dollars in state subsidies and tax breaks.

"We're hopeful that this information will really help give Mainers and the legislature a picture of if our tax system is functioning the way it's intended and if everyone is paying their fair share," Pillsbury explained.

Pillsbury argued businesses asking for public funds should be accountable to the public. The bill has faced some pushback from businesses concerned with privacy but the measure has so far received bipartisan support.

A report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy finds more than 100 of America's largest corporations paid no income taxes for at least one year following the 2017 corporate income tax cuts instituted under former President Donald Trump.

Pillsbury pointed out corporations rely on taxpayer-funded roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure -- even an educated workforce -- to earn their profits, yet fail to give back to the state.

"We have small businesses right in our communities that are struggling to compete with big corporations while they're using all of these public services," Pillsbury emphasized. "It's really important to know if they're paying their fair share into all these things that help Maine prosper."

Pillsbury added corporations reveal data in their Securities and Exchange Commissions filings to their shareholders and if Maine is investing in these businesses, they deserve the same information.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
If New York established an unemployment bridge program, 750,000 workers would be eligible for its benefits. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Immigrant New Yorkers want lawmakers to create an unemployment bridge program. It would support unemployed workers who are ineligible for state …


Social Issues

play sound

A New York organization believes universal public childcare can be implemented in five years. New Yorkers United for Child Care is using its newly …

Social Issues

play sound

Federal investments are helping the city of Boston develop greater workforce training programs. The city received $23 million in 2022 to develop …


Fourteen states prohibit transgender people from using the restroom consistent with their gender identity, according to Human Rights Campaign. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

By Andrew Tobias for Signal Cleveland.Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for Ohio News Connection reporting for the Signal Ohio-Public News Service …

Environment

play sound

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for Maine News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

Animal nutritionists confirm sugar is a key energy source for cows, due to its concentrated and rapidly digestible nature. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient Climate.Broadcast version by Danielle Smith for Keystone State News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public Ne…

Social Issues

play sound

South Dakotans passed Amendment F on Election Day, opening the door to impose work requirements on people who qualify for expanded Medicaid benefits…

Social Issues

play sound

For some, apprenticeships provide more than just a job, they offer a career path. Industry leaders are working around the clock, not only on their …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021