Senator Mumper Led CAT Amendment Effort

Senate leadership not receptive

OABA appreciates the effort by Senator Larry Mumper (R), Chair, Senate Ag Committee in introducing and providing leadership in offering OABA's amendment to the State Budget Bill.
Unfortunately the Senate leadership was not receptive to amendments.

The amendment offered would allow commodity handlers substantial tax relief from the CAT. It allows commodity handlers doing 80 percent, or more of their business within Ohio to only pay the CAT on 25 percent of those sales. OABA believes this amendment is critical to keeping Ohio's grain industry viable and competitive. There is still an outside chance the amendment could be included in joint conference committee, which is scheduled to meet next week to hammer out differences between the House and Senate versions.

The budget overhauls business taxes, replacing taxes on assets with a commercial activity tax (CAT) on gross receipts. Senator Amstutz (R), said the budget changes "give Ohio a powerful marketing tool" to compete with other states for jobs. It seems surprising that Senate leadership is willing to sacrifice small, family-owned grain elevators that have been doing business in Ohio for decades in order to entice larger companies to move to Ohio with the (CAT).