Helping Your Business Grow President Edward Kearney Chamber of Commerce
Vice Chairman Jodi Kurtz Warners’ Stellian
Past Chairman Eric Iverson Iverson Consulting
Secretary Misty Scholler Anchor Bank
Treasurer Guy Gunner Gunners Garage
Jane Hill Culver’s
Bethany Marquette BMO Harris Bank
Nick Martinez Send Out Cards
John Wortman American Legion
Chamber Administration Kristy Cleveland Business Manager
March 2013
From the desk of Scott Kadrlik, Chamber Chairman Hi Taxpayers! I am Scott Kadrlik, CPA/PFS. Tax Filing Deadlines are looming. I want to remind you that you have a tax return due soon. Your corporations are due on March 15 and your Partnerships and Individual returns are due on April 15th. The tax preparation and filing responsibility placed on taxpayers’ is ominous and disheartening for some. I once had a client tell me that “she hated having her tax return prepared as much as she hated going to the dentist or having a Pap Smear”. I knew exactly where I stood. We tend to blame the IRS and the State of Minnesota for the requirements placed on us for the reporting and paying tax. I don’t want to seem too sensitive, but actually it is not their fault. All of the complicated tax laws and taxes that you pay are the fault of Congress. The failure to meet budget deadlines and fiscal cliffs? Congress again. Uncertainty over future tax rates? Congress. Delays in tax filings? Also Congress. The IRS and Minnesota Department of Revenue are forced to administer programs as far apart from each other – and as unrelated to revenue-raising – as social welfare and business development . The last major tax law change was in 1987. Since then there have been more than 5,000 tax law changes. I am guessing that none of them included simplification. I want you to know that the Internal Revenue Code is 9 times the size of the Bible and contains less Good News. The businesses and citizens of this great country are constantly being bombarded with more and more regulation from expanded sales tax filing to significant changes to our health care programs. Congress is responsible for all of these and needs to hear from you. We elected these people and if we want them to consider your business issues when creating laws, they need to know how you feel. This issue will include the names and contact information of your Congressional representatives in the Apple Valley area. Send them a note, give them a call or stop by their office. They need to know the kind of job they are doing. If you completely approve of the things they are doing, they need to hear that also. Governor Dayton’s Budget Proposal The Governor has sent his minions across the state promoting his budget proposal for a $3 Billion increase in the State budget. The increase is going to be paid for with the expansion of sales tax on services. Almost daily there are articles in the paper demonstrating the negative impact on Minnesota businesses. The articles come from virtually all areas of service that will be dramatically impacted by the increase and the harmful effect the changes will have on the slow moving economy. Your Chamber Board has demonstrated its support to quash this proposal. You need to contact your Minnesota representatives and express your views also on this issue. If this budget bill passes, it will be extremely hard to get it reversed. The State Legislature is scheduled to adjourn in Mid-May. There is always a flurry of legislation that gets passed at the end of the session and the taxpayers find out about it after everything has been passed. This will be too late. Stay involved and contact your legislature today. Scott Kadrlik, CPA/PFS Meuwissen, Flygare, Kadrlik & Associates, P.A. 952-541-1996 scott@mfkcpa.com U.S. Congressman John Kine U.S. Senator Amy Kblobuchar (952) 808-1213 (612) 727-5220 Email not available Email not available State Rep. Distric 57A Tara Mack State Rep. Anna Wills State Senator Greg Clausen (651) 296-4312 (651) 296-4306 ( 651) 296-4120 rep.tara.mack@house.mn re.anna.wills@house.mn sen.greg.clausen@senate.mn