NEW BEDFORD MAYOR JON MITCHELL thinks his city, with its gritty harbor, its cobblestoned streets, its mill buildings, and its sweeping ocean views, has Hollywood appeal. Hollywood also appeals to him, not because he has any red carpet aspirations himself, but because of what he thinks a movie or a TV series could do for […]
Tax Credits
Massachusetts’ many tax credits and attempts at bringing them to light.
Posted inThe Back Story
CT Lottery taps MA film tax credit
LEAF THROUGH THE LIST of recipients of Massachusetts film tax credits and one name comes up year after year: the Connecticut Lottery. One might think the lottery, created by the state of Connecticut, would want to do business as much as possible with companies in Connecticut. In a way, that’s the whole point of the […]
Posted inEconomy, Opinion
Baker doubling down on failed biotech strategy
This opinion piece has been corrected in several spots (headline and story) to reflect the fact that $1 billion has not been spent by the Massachusetts Life Science Center. Only $650 million has been spent so far, which would significantly reduce the estimated cost per job HERE WE GO again. Government giveaways to industries will benefit […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
IRS, DOR undermining Earned Income Tax Credit
IN THE MIDST of new proposals for a major tax system overhaul, there’s one tax policy almost everyone agrees has been highly effective: the Earned Income Tax Credit. It delivers significant financial relief to working families while providing financial incentive to work. In 2015, the average credit was $3,186 for families with children. How disappointing, […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
House nixes gas tax hike, film tax credit cut
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE on Monday shot down proposals to increase the gas tax and put a cap on the state’s film tax credit program as they began to dispense with more than 1,300 amendments to the annual state budget bill. The House swiftly took care of more than 30 revenue-related amendments […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Come to Boston for the sights, stay for the tax credits
Boston and the entire state is puffing out its collective chest just a little bit more this morning with the announcement that General Electric is moving its worldwide headquarters to the Seaport District this summer. And all it took was money. Lots and lots of money. Potentially as much as $145 million in tax credits, grants, and infrastructure […]
Posted inPolitics, Transportation
House, Senate negotiators break budget stalemate
HOUSE AND SENATE NEGOTIATORS broke their deadlock on the fiscal 2016 budget Tuesday night by finding a novel way to fund an expansion of a tax credit that benefits low-income workers and by suspending so-called Pacheco law regulations at the MBTA for three years. The agreement was unveiled at 8 pm Tuesday night, a week […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Budget transparency – even for tax credits
By Bruce Mohl The Massachusetts House voted Wednesday night to create a budget website where taxpayers could track the flow of funds in and out of state government – even money doled out in the form of tax credits. Rep. Charles Murphy, the House’s budget chief, had called for the creation of the website in […]
Posted inPolitics
Status quo on probation
Rep. Charles Murphy’s House budget proposal sticks with the status quo on the state’s probation service, keeping the department within the judiciary but under the tight control of the Legislature. “We’re not going to cede our authority,” said the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee when asked why he chose not to adopt […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics
Galvin gets less secretive about tax credit recipients
secretary of state William Galvin is starting to lift the veil of secrecy surrounding his management of the state’s historic rehabilitation tax credit program, which provides financial incentives for developers to restore historic buildings. Galvin recently posted on his state website the names of companies and projects receiving tax credit awards during the latest round […]