Waiting for your tax return?

Here is something to think about. The Boston Globe ran an op-ed piece today about giving tax breaks to businesses to attract them to a particular state. The article notes:

. . . Several studies, including one by economist Robert Lynch in 2004 called ''Rethinking Growth Strategies: How State and Local Taxes and Service Affect Economic Development," establish that state tax incentives have, at best, a minimal impact on businesses' decisions about where to locate their facilities. State taxes are simply too small a fraction of business costs (typically 1 to 2 percent) to be a major factor in siting decisions. Moreover, since all states are offering competing incentives, the differences are usually very small.
. . .
The real effect of these tax breaks is a dramatic loss of state and local revenues. In 1997, the national cost of state and local incentives was estimated at $50 billion, and the numbers have grown dramatically since then. The result: heavier tax burdens on individual taxpayers and small businesses. And less money for education, infrastructure, and the other government services that the research shows are real factors affecting business decisions about where to locate.

Albany's budget is due on April 1. You might want to discuss this issue with your State Senator or Assemblyperson.