NFIB Seeks Action on CATS
Rob Ikard, Tennessee director for the National Federation of Independent Business, is looking for NFIB members' opinions on the CATS budget. Ikard's initial report on the CATS budget proposal mentions that previous polling of NFIB members in Tennessee found opposition to one component in the CATS plan: increasing the corporate excise tax rate to 6.75 percent from its current 6 percent.

Ikard comments on the pros and cons of the CATS plan: "The plan certainly raises some business taxes (commercial trailers, excise tax increase, alcohol and tobacco, vending machines). It does not, however, establish an income tax or extend the sales tax to services, two detrimental measures that have been proposed this year."

Ikard urges NFIB members to contact their legislators (whose contact info including email addresses and fax numbers are available on the General Assembly's website) and asks that NFIB members copy him on their communications with legislators. "Having not balloted this specific plan, I need some feedback from our members on how the CATS plan will affect Tennessee's small businesses," says Ikard. His email is Rob.Ikard@NFIB.org and his fax number is 615.874.5267.

TaxFreeTennessee.com has a good list of contact info for state representatives here and state senators here.