Senator Howard Marklein’s “Due Dates” Bill Passes Senate With Bi-Partisan Support

MADISON - State Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) authored Senate Bill (SB) 2 to change the due dates for certain entities to file Wisconsin income or franchise tax returns, to pay the first installment of estimated income and franchise tax and to file withholding tax returns in response to a request from a constituent. SB 2 passed the Senate unanimously on Wednesday, February 8, 2017.

“Over the summer, I was contacted by a constituent who informed me that the Federal government had changed the due dates for several federal tax filings and that Wisconsin’s due dates were now out of sync with the Federal due dates,” Marklein said. “This inconsistency caused confusion for taxpayers, tax preparers and the Department of Revenue. This bill aligns our state tax return dates with federal dates.”

In 2015, the Federal Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act was passed. This act changed the federal tax return due dates for certain entities that file state income and franchise tax returns. SB 2 impacts the March 15, 2017 filing deadline. It does not impact other future deadlines. These deadlines will be considered in future legislation.

“This bill needed to be done now,” Marklein said. “We need to move this bill to the Governor’s desk before the March 15, 2017 deadline to have an impact. I am hopeful that the Assembly will move swiftly to pass this bill.”

SB 2 passed the State Senate unanimously, 32-0, on Wednesday, February 8, 2017 and now moves to the Assembly for consideration. SB 2 was co-authored by Rep. Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield) and co-sponsored by a bi-partisan group of legislators from the Senate and the Assembly.

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