Ohio Association of Realtors rejects Kasich's new taxes
Ohio Association of Realtors District 9 Vice President Paul Renwick warned of higher taxes for the real estate profession as he discussed Ohio Gov. John Kasich's proposed budget during the March 28 Highland County Board of Realtors' meeting at the Hillsboro Ponderosa Banquet Center.
Renwick said the OAR and the Realtors' RPAC are lobbying hard against the new service-related taxes in the governor's proposed biennial budget.
Kasich, Republican, is proposing a $64 billion budget, which would be an increase of $12 billion over the last budget proposed by former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat.
The new budget, if passed by the Ohio General Assembly, would add a number of new service taxes, including sales taxes on real estate professionals' commissions. Realtors already pay income tax on those commissions, so it would be an additional tax.
"Our governor is wanting to tax a number of things: Our services, bank services, your commissions," Renwick said. "You're going to get smacked with a new sales tax of 5 percent on commissions.
"The state of Ohio doesn't have a clue how Realtors work," Renwick said.
Renwick then asked member of the Highland County Board of Realtors:
• "How many think the broker will pay the new tax?" (There were no hands raised.)
• "How many people think the seller will pay the new tax?" (Again, no hands were raised.)
"We're going to be double-taxed on the same earnings. The governor is going to push this through," Renwick said. "The carrot being that Ohio is going to go to a sales tax state and do away with its income tax (in about five years)."
Renwick said he was not optimistic that members of the Ohio House and Senate – both of which have Republican majorities – would stand in opposition to the governor.
"It's not looking good," he said. "It's looking like this is going to pass. We're talking to state representatives and state senators, but it is an uphill battle."
Renwick said the governor has been invited to speak at this year's OAR spring conference but he (Kasich) "is steering clear of the OAR."
Renwick encouraged local Realtors to express their concerns with their local lawmakers.
Those lawmakers include:
• Rep. Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville,
District 91
77 S. High St., 13th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone – (614) 466-3506
Fax – (614) 719-6986
www.ohiohouse.gov/cliff-rosenberger
• Senator Bob Peterson, R-Sabina
Ohio Senate Building
1 Capitol Square, Ground Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 466-8156
www.ohiosenate.gov/peterson
Southern Ohio Rep. John Becker of Clermont County has spoken out against the governor's budget.
Rep. Becker's contact information is:
• Representative John Becker
District 65
77 S. High St., 12th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone – (614) 466-8134
Fax – (614) 719-3966
www.ohiohouse.gov/john-becker.