Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska WALKERS INCOME TAX SCHEME

Gov. Bill Walker called a fourth special session Friday afternoon, on the topic of new revenue.

Walker wants lawmakers to consider what the state Department of Revenue calls a "Capped Hybrid Head Tax."

The tax would be deducted by Alaskan employers from their employees' wages at a flat rate of 1.5 percent of earnings. But there's a cap on how much the state can take.

The administration proposes a maximum deduction of two times the previous year's Permanent Fund dividend. For example, if the dividend was $1,100, the maximum tax per working individual would be $2,200.

Some non-wage income, including capital gains, interest, dividends (including the PFD) and S-corporation distributions would be exempt from taxation.

Revenue Commissioner Sheldon Fisher highlighted that the proposal captures new revenue from out-of-state workers whose wages aren't currently taxed in Alaska.

According to the latest data available from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, non-resident workers earned 16 percent of total wages in the state in 2015.

Fisher estimates the measure would generate between $300 million and $325 million, a fraction of the $2.7 billion budget gap the administration projects the state will need to fill next year.

The Department of Revenue estimates it would need 50 additional staff, and $10-$12 million to implement the new tax. It estimates annual operating costs between $5 million and $6 million.

Walker will convene lawmakers in Juneau on Monday, October 23rd to take up the measure. The special session call also includes Senate Bill 54, a bill to modify the state's criminal justice overhaul law, SB 91.

The upcoming special session marks a new record for the number of special sessions held in a single year.

http://www.ktva.com/story/36432569/walker-introduces-tax-on-alaskan-wages#.WcWIf6JQI8k.mailto

That is all this guy has been about. This is 1/100th of the so-called "deficit". He is a communist who LUSTS after being the one who got the income tax back on the books in Alaska when all his other toadies failed.

Watch4beer,
Do u actually hunt? Or sit at home all day eating cheetos reading political crap?

I'm just here to ram sticks up democrats asses

Walker has never seen a tax he didn't love.

Keep up the good work!

Billy is afraid he'll get the gate before he can get a tax through.

And, they gotts stop calling it a "special" session.

With that crowd all sessions are special!

Save one for WDH... troll gets his butthurt on every time he gets called on his last stupid statement... which was always the last thing he said.

Says the convicted wife beater, drunk driver and theif hahahaha. You may think you're an "expert" but one thing is for sure, you could use some practice escaping the police...

Whens the last time you went home to Wyoming to go deer hunting? Assuming get you do hunt

Too busy hunting in AK to make it back much, but Ill be back in two weeks.

I must have mad skillz to be all that and keep an FFL... and various other licenses...

Using Court view correctly requires you to know your target's name.

FFL would weed that out right dang fast.....

Follow the money....

Hey Walt, did you ever figure out how to count tent poles?

I love Alaska but I truly believe she is becoming a lost cause. Way too many liberal fuggwads there.

I agree and think it started in the early 80s with a lot of new folks smelling oil money... Sheffield and Cooper back-to-back as governors proves it... and Wally came back for a couple terms, but then Tony screwed everybody in every way possible.

Part of the problem has been the Russians governors since then though. Murkowski continued the screwing and Sister Sarah taught Rs how to inflate budgets and get away with it.

I traveled to AK in '91-'92 with a buddy. He stayed in AK and has been in AK for the last 25 years. He started two businesses in that time, but the ridiculous red tape, liberal policies and crime became too much of a burden for him and his family. He recently packed up his family and left. It's really a shame that the Great State of AK has become such a liberal cesspool. These fargin' liberals destroy everything.

I mean no offense to the good people of AK, but I've wanted to get back to AK since I was there in '91-'92, but it's hard to justify such a move under current AK conditions, which show no sign of abatement in the near or long term future.

If you leave Alaska to move south, you can't blame red tape and taxes, cause they ain't no better down south and Alaska is unparalleled in ALOT of other ways. Worse than it used to be is still better than the rest.

Course, we're better off without a lot of those people, fairweather that they are.

No offense to you, High Noon, or your buddy.

Pittu: No offense taken and I understand your viewpoint. While I wholeheartedly agree that AK is unparalleled in many ways (namely, the natural beauty, hunting opportunities and the many good people of AK), I wouldn't at all say my buddy was fair-weather. He was there for 25 years, contributing to the economy and providing a service to many.

At one time, my buddy owned a guiding outfit and the red tape he encountered when renewing his license seemed unreal to me. He was so fed up with it that he allowed his license to expire and purchased a "bear guard" company, with which he continued to provide a needed service to the people and companies operating in AK.

Regarding taxes, yes, there are States in the lower 48, that have much higher taxes than those in AK (i.e CA, IL, NY). AK currently does not have a state income tax, but there's 8 other states that also do not have state income taxes, including TX and WY. In my opinion, should Gov. Walker get his way with his state income tax scheme and if he is able to end or continue to raid the AK Permanent Fund dividend, to fund his ever increasing entitlement programs, coupled with the increased cost of living in AK, many Alaskans will face a bleak future. Simply put, the liberal/Marxist politics/policies are ruining Alaska. I don't know about you, but I refuse to submit to such fascism, incompetence and buffoonery. Again, I mean no offense and I am not trying to imply that any State is better than AK, but there are several States in the lower 48 that are much, much more conservative.

But in a general sense, I believe you are correct in that most of the country is in a similar state to AK in regard to liberal policy. I also definitely believe that you're absolutely correct regarding the fair-weather people in AK. Many of them moved from CA, OR or WA and brought their liberal politics with them - voting in the very same type of Marxists that led them to flee their home states in the first place - obviously they're not very bright people, leach off the producers in AK and only contribute to/cause the horrible financial issues currently faced by AK.

List another state with no income tax, no state sales tax AND an annual per person dividend...

I understand the ridiculous rules... I had over a dozen licenses and permits to run my boat in Kodiak and that was not enough...

Art,
There is obviously no other State with no income tax and no sales tax that provides a dividend. WY and TX probably come closest when the cost of living is factored into the equation. My point was that liberal policy has run rampant in AK and it could get much worse if that Marxist Walker gets his way. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Personally, I would like to see Walker recalled and replaced with a true conservative, which would go a long way to restoring AK to financial solvency and end a great many of the entitlements that have led to the mass migration of those seeking handouts - the fair-weather "Alaskans" mentioned by Pittu above.

While I despise Walker, there is no salvation in AK politicians wearing an R. Palin started a huge spending ramp-up, Parnell upped her, and Walker is expanding the budget further. None got the letter telling them the State spends too much.

Many places have far higher costs of living than AK, these days. Costco changed things by itself...

Well, I did say "true conservative," not Republican, there's a huge difference. The entire political class is in it for themselves with very, very few exceptions. Frankly, I'm completed disgusted with politics and the globalists.

You, of course, are correct, many places do have higher costs of living than AK. My statement was a generalization.

What is your AO Noon?

Mike,
AO - Area of Operations? - West Texas.

Yeah. Just wondering what state. Should have been more clear.

I wasn't including your friend in the fair weather comment high noon. I just meant people who come here from down south, take the dividend, use the resources and bring their liberal ways, then go back to wherever they came from whenever the going gets remotely tough...was no reflection on you at all.

Hell, people like you need to move up and displace some of the REI crowd,,,

Pittu: Duly noted and thank you. I never understood why people would move to AK just for the PFD, it doesn't amount to much and seems to be getting smaller and smaller as the years pass.

I would love to move to AK, but the planets would have to align for me to do so. Unfortunately, I'm not in my 20s anymore, have a young daughter and I cannot just pack up and head North without a great deal of prep, which I am working on. The main issue is my divorce, which has dragged on for 3.5 years now. Although I'm optimistic about the outcome, the custody issue will be the final determining factor.

You are still dealing with that mess?! Time to get that behind you!

Art,
You're preaching to the choir.

That's the truth!

Some people just can't let it end and move on. My wife has a case that has a dedicated filing cabinet drawer.

Good luck to you, I feel for everyone that goes through it.

Amazon has done more to cut costs in AK than anything else. I can get my dog food from Amazon Prime and pay no shipping costs. And I don't live on the road system.

Amazon is anti gun

458Lott: Thanks, I appreciate your comment. I know this is off topic and I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I eagerly await the day I'm free from her and all her lunacy. Not only has it been very expensive, but it's been difficult to maintain motivation and a calm demeanor during the process. In my case, it's a custody battle. My daughter and I are very close and I truly believe it's not in her best interest to constantly be around my soon to be ex and her screwball family. I try to spend as much time with my daughter as possible, camping, hunting, fishing and hiking. I believe it’s vitally important to expose her to the outdoors. This summer, she caught her first fish, which happened to be a 4+ lb. Largemouth bass! She loves it all and, of course, gets none of it when with her mother. Maybe I'll start another thread and post a photo of her with her first fish.

At least your daughter has one sane parent. It seems in many of my wife's cases it's a competition for who can drag the divorce and custody battle out the longest and make everyone involved in the process as miserable as possible.

Some use the kids as weapons against their (ex)spouse.

We're doing exactly what we fight against: enable deadbeat parents. But we were tired of seeing our grandson be used as a tool and weapon by the drug-addled, wrist slashing mother of his, and his dad is not a solid, stable home, so..... Not a divorce deal (since no marriage) but no good just the same.

Gotta be tough Mark.

Unfortunately, that's all I got for you.

Mark, sorry to hear about the situation with your grandson, he surely doesn't deserve to be exposed to such dysfunction. Hopefully you can counteract the damage done.

Every situation is unique and has it's own challenges, children only add to the trials we face in a divorce. Mine is an unfortunate situation, but I'm ecstatic I no longer have to deal with her and her family's BS. I was miserable for a long time. But c'est la vie.

It's so easy, sometimes, to judge another fellows life and wonder why he isn't "more in control", but realizing you can't control it all and stepping up to do what's right or best is sometimes all you can do...and that can be a lot. It sounds like you're doing it.

Thanks Mark. I'm certainly not without flaws and I have made my fair share of mistakes, but I do indeed try to do what's best, especially where my daughter is concerned. I also make every attempt to give others a fair shake, that is, unless it's glaringly obvious that they're a moron... or a liberal.

How many fps can you get with a kid?

Art,
Excellent question. It's largely a function of kinetic energy. I estimate that my daughter, at 63 lbs. reached 3 fps, with the force I applied to her in the pool this summer, in order to launch her through the air. I say "estimate" because she was a bit too large to fit through my chronograph, which would have given a far more accurate result. I also launched her towards my brother in the pool this Summer, but we found that the damage inflicted to him was negligible.

Some kids have more inertia than others.

Alaska won't be on that list long.

Thank yout Captain Obvious!!!

And that people that believe otherwise don't get off their ass to vote.

I thought what I said was more polite than saying that is a stupid statement that really adds nothing to the argument.