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During May 2017, H.R. 327 was introduced and reported as committed by the House on June 13, 2017.  H.R. 327 would establish a select subcommittee on tax modernization and reform to investigate, review, and make recommendations concerning the process, rates, and methods by which revenue in Pennsylvania is collected and assessed on taxpayers.

The purpose of the Resolution is to examine and review Pennsylvania’s system of taxation to ensure an equitable and efficient means by which taxes are assessed and collected and to facilitate a fair and competitive marketplace in an ever-changing global economy.

The subcommittee would investigate, review, and make findings and recommendations regarding: (1) the rates and means by which taxes are assessed and collected; (2) whether certain taxes are outdated or could be modernized to reflect the current economy; and (3) how to maintain competitiveness and reduce the overall burden on taxpayers without jeopardizing the stability of overall revenue. The subcommittee would also review other states’ best practices and methods for levying and collecting various taxes.  Finally, the subcommittee would develop recommendations which: (1) encourage equitable and fair tax policy; (2) provide certainty and uniformity for taxpayers; (3) facilitate cost-effective and economic tax collection practices; and (4) promote transparency and simplicity to aid taxpayer understanding of Pennsylvania’s tax policies.

The subcommittee would be responsible for submitting a report of its findings by November 30, 2018.

H.R. 327 is a step in the right direction. Whenever a state is willing to reconsider its own practices and to analyze what other states are doing well and use that knowledge to reevaluate its own system, there is great potential that both taxpayers and the taxing state can benefit.

You can follow the progress of the Resolution here.