Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska 52 state employees

Governor Bill Walker's hiring freeze doesn't apparently apply to his new fleet of tax accountants and collectors.

Senate Bill 134, (HB 182) by request of the governor, would impose an income tax each year (or fraction of a year) on all residents and nonresidents of Alaska who work for a living. That tax? 6 percent of your total federal income tax.

The cost of tax collection is not insubstantial. The governor's plan adds 44 full-time, and 16 part-time accountants, auditors, tax collector, and other highly paid positions to the Alaska Department of Revenue.

In a quick reversal of his own policy, Walker's bill was filed just two weeks after he declared a state hiring freeze.

Governor Walker's income tax is expected to raise $200 million.

The Tax Division, run by Juneau Democratic political operative Ken Alper, will increase by 45 percent to process an expected 400,000 tax returns that the state is targeting for 2018.

Among items to be taxed: Your dead relative's estate. Any estate that is left to you that is owned by someone who lived outside of Alaska at the time of their death will be taxed.

http://www.alaskagop.org/governor_wants_to_add_52_state_employees_to_collect_income_taxes

A State income tax based on a percentage of Federal income tax only widens the loopholes so those that now escape Federal tax would also escape State tax.

An income tax is not needed to begin with!

This Governor again fails to impress me.

Any info on what it will cost to collect 200M?

I'm guessing 52 X $100,000 = $5.2 Million

State employees cost way more than $100k a year when you factor in the benefits.

I would bet the top of the slug heap would run 250k or so and the bottom would be in the range of 75k before benefits... guessing they would average over 150...

Right from the new hiring guidelines that were recently provided: "revenue generating and revenue collections positions, such that the failure to hire would result in a net reduction in revenue to the State of Alaska" are exempt from the freeze.

Ok so call it $7.8 million

Pretty much my thinking, not to mention you have to provide them offices, computers, vehicles, travel expenses, etc.,

What could possibly be wrong with an administration that includes a SeaAlaska land grabbing POS?

And state taxes are write-offs against your Federal Tax, no?

Let's say 150k per employee. $200M/.15Mx52 yields a benefit/cost ratio of 25.6. Most would say that's a pretty good return on investment.

Getting rid of all State employees who handle PFD applications and cut checks is even better.

Except that assumes they will collect it and not hire a bunch of employees beyond the initial 52. It says nothing about the cost of training, office space, postage, printing, office machines, and perks.

I think the benefit/cost analysis would show the PF a better fishing hole...

It's not the cost of the employees, its the cost to the state as once the camel get's its nose under the tent of income tax, there will be even less of an incentive for the government to cut spending.

The state has a spending problem, plane and simple. The permanent fund should be used as intended to fund government, and the state should look at ways to make the oil and gas industry grown when it rebounds.

It has no bearing on the fact the state.gov will piss it away.

https://www.elections.alaska.gov/pbi_rc_gi.php

The fact that we would even consider a tax on a working Alaskans income while handing out the PFD checks to everyone with a heartbeat tells me all I need to know about walker. Trouble is it has become political suicide to even talk about the pfd.

I absolutely agree, but a little talk of sales tax and income tax should get people thinking...

That it will....and is!

In Walker's defense, I don't envy his position - whatever he does is going to piss off at least one group.

That being said, how could this possibly be considered the right course of action unless you are a socialist?

I gotta' agree with Hammond. If the state's spending oil revenues, people grump but don't really get serious about it. When they start spending income tax dollars there will be a whole 'nother level of scrutiny.