Thursday, January 15, 2009

AS THE CONGRESS TURNS

Today’s daily CCH Tax Newsletter reports in “Stimulus Package Negotiations Nearing Completion” that Congress is considering adding the annual one-year dreaded AMT patch to the next “stimulus” package.

Senate Finance Committee member Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters on January 14 that adding a one-year patch for the alternative minimum tax (AMT) to the stimulus package is still under consideration . . . Baucus acknowledged the same a day earlier, telling reporters that the AMT patch is ‘still on the table’.”

On one hand it would be good to get it over with early in the year – so we do not have to wait until the last minute as in past years.

But passing a one-year patch so early in the year means that Congress will probably not be dealing with the issue of repealing the mucking fess altogether in 2009.

Knowing Congress I suppose I should be happy to get what I can. Extending the annual fix process now is better than nothing – and better than dragging it out all year again. Hopefully Congress will seriously address the issue of repeal in 2010, which now appears will be the big year for Tax Code overhaul.

TTFN

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