Agriculture plays an important role in Ohio’s economy. Property taxes, however, can stifle the agriculture industry – especially when paired with crippling market conditions.
Do local Ohio income taxes violate the constitution?
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision could affect cities in Ohio and other states regarding how they tax their residents. The case arose in Maryland, but the Supreme Court ruling could impact as many as 5,000 jurisdictions nationwide, including Ohio, that impose local income taxes.
IRS AUDITS OF OHIO OWNER-OPERATORS
Over the road trucking is a tough business, especially for the typical owner-operator. Income is often erratic, depending on the number of loads available and shipping schedules. Many trucking contracts have inflexible fuel reimbursement rates which can make for very slim profit margins. As a result, many Ohio truck drivers find themselves behind on taxes. To make matters worse, there is a cottage industry of "trucking tax specialists" out there who provide misleading, often fraudulent, advice about what a trucker can deduct on his or her tax return. It is not unusual for these "specialists" to invent expenses to artificially lower taxable income.
Extraterritoriality and Cleveland's tax on NFL players
In January, we noted that some former NFL players had sued Cleveland regarding the tax rate applied to their playing in the city when they were active with the NFL. Cleveland used a unique method of calculating the income tax owed, based on the number of days they play in Cleveland, which the players objected as a violation of their Constitutional due process rights.
