Business Leaders to Governor: Lett’s Find Common Ground on Repealing Personal Property Tax

The Coalition to Repeal Wisconsin’s Personal Property Tax is responding to Governor Evers remarks to find common ground on issues and believes that repeal of the personal property tax is an issue that benefits everyone in the State of Wisconsin.

The coalition, consisting of 51 statewide organizations that represent nearly every business in Wisconsin and more than a million employees, is urging Governor Evers to make small, Main Street businesses a priority in his first budget by including repeal of the personal property tax with full  reimbursement to municipalities for lost revenue.

The personal property tax has existed in Wisconsin longer than we have been a state, and even prior to Wisconsin becoming a territory in 1836.  Since then, dozens of exemptions to the tax have been implemented, resulting in non-uniformity with certain businesses taxed and others not as well as specific equipment taxed in one municipality, but not in another.

Repealing the personal property tax is not a partisan issue. If municipalities are held harmless, repeal would be welcomed by local governments and businesses alike. Municipalities would benefit by not having to assess businesses, businesses would benefit by not having to pay the tax, and citizens in Wisconsin would benefit from the additional revenue that businesses would put into their employees, their businesses or their communities.

Main Street businesses in Wisconsin are struggling to compete in today’s hyper-competitive environment. All of the surrounding midwestern states have repealed the onerous personal property tax, and it’s time for Wisconsin to focus on Main Street small businesses by making repeal of the personal property tax a priority this session.