This post went up yesterday at Ohio Watchdog:
It was only a matter of time before local politicians figured out a way to get even more money from the newly established casinos in Ohio.
It’s become a standard practice for municipalities to tax the income of their residents, including income earned from gambling. Many also tax individuals who work within the jurisdiction, regardless of where they live, since the income is earned and paid inside the city limits. But imposing an income tax on tourists who come to a city to gamble is new for Ohio.
Columbus recently approved an ordinance to impose its local income tax on any non-resident who hits it big at the new Hollywood Casino. The measure, which will be retroactive to June 1, was passed unanimously.
The Toledo Council has a pending ordinance that will allow the city to impose its income tax on “lottery, gambling winnings, lotteries, raffles, as well as the fair market value of bonds, cars, houses, and other noncash prizes” won or earned by non-residents within the city limits. And yes, this would include various raffles and bingo.
Both ordinances allow only “professional gamblers,” as defined by the Internal Revenue Service, to deduct losses before calculating the amount of income tax owed.
The summary of the Toledo legislation states the taxation is “desirable, because doing so increases General Fund revenue.” In other words, imposing new or additional taxes is good because it increases the amount of money government has.
But will it really give local governments more money — or will the new taxes be offset by people who will make other choices?
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4 comments:
Likewise, the federal government increased the visa fee by a few dollars so that they can advertise the benefits of visiting the US. And they wonder why US tourism numbers are so feeble.
yeah - because if you want less of something you tax it.
Duh!
Shockingly the flattening of tourists to the US coincided with the introduction in 2004 of the US-VISIT program, which photographs and fingerprints basically everyone who visits the US.
Now this may sound crazy, but people are not so interested in coming to a country that makes them feel like they are being arrested on arrival.
Toledo is really pro-business, so say our cheerleaders. Council is proving that it is anti-business with this measure to tax gambling winnings. But what should we expect from a group of hacks who drove the internet cafes out of Toledo and across the state line to Michigan?
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