St. Paul- The Minnesota House of Representatives unanimously passed House File 6, Federal Tax Conformity. HF 6 conforms Minnesota’s tax code to some of the federal tax changes made since 2011 as it pertains to items in tax year 2012 only. Most of the items involve extending tax code we have conformed to in the past.
“Today’s vote is a great example of working together across Party lines to deliver results for Minnesotans. By passing tax conformity, Minnesotans filing their tax returns can receive their full refund without having to submit an amended tax return later. This is the relief Minnesota families and job creators need in our tough economy,” said House Republican Leader Kurt Daudt (Crown).
Republicans in the House fought to amend the legislation so that dollars intended to pay back the school shift would not be used to pay for conformity. A similar provision was included in last fall’s Flood Relief legislation. Unfortunately, Democrats rejected the amendment.
“Today was an opportunity to ensure our actions matched our words. We’ve said all along, Republicans and Democrats, that paying back the money owed to our schools was a priority. I was disappointed to see the DFL voted to use dollars intended for our classrooms instead of using budget reserves currently held by the state,” added Rep. Daudt.
Republicans also attempted to extend relief to married couples filing jointly by increasing their standard deduction by $2,000. Again, Democrats voted against this measure.
The bill needs to pass in the Senate and be reconciled between the House and Senate before being sent to the Governor for his signature. The bill is effective after final enactment for all 2012 tax returns.