Taxpayers Would Be Given 'Receipt' For Income Tax Under Bill

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 03/04/2025) Rep. Matthew Bierlein (R-Vassar)’s Taxpayer Receipt Act answers the constituent question: “Where do my tax dollars go?”

Under HB 4019, the Michigan Department of Treasury in collaboration with the state budget office, would issue an annual revenue report to each individual who files a state income tax return, starting with the 2025 tax year.

Taxpayers would receive details about where the 4.25 percent income tax they pay is going, including breakdowns for wage and salary withholdings, quarterly payments, flow-through entity tax, annual payments, amount refunded and more.

Bierlein says he understands the concern about how much money it would take to compile and mail these reports, and the House Fiscal Agency estimated the cost to be about $4.2 million to mail them, he said. Posting the information online could reduce that cost, as well.

The bill received testimony in Rep. Mark Tisdel (R-Rochester)’s House Finance Committee on Tuesday.

“Knowledge is power, and I think if we can find a way to better empower our constituents, that’s a good thing. Let’s keep working on it,” Tisdel said.

Next, the committee heard testimony on HB 4014 sponsored by Rep. Bradley Slagh (R-Zeeland) that prevents a property’s tax from being “uncapped” if ownership of the property is being transferred to a previous owner’s immediate family members.

Currently, a property’s taxable value cannot increase by more than 5 percent each year, unless ownership is transferred. The bill clears up the exemptions that transferring ownership to the blood relative of a current or previous owner does not count as an ownership transfer and can therefore not have its taxable value increased more than five percent.

Last, Reps. Steve Frisbie (R-Battle Creek) and Pat Outman (R-Six Lakes) testified on HB 4098 and HB 4099 , which would allow municipalities to conduct Tax Tribunal hearings by phone or web call if both parties agree to it.

Outman said the change modernizes Michigan’s tax tribunal process, and Frisbie said this aligns with the idea of government efficiency and making government friendlier for the residents it serves.