There's Hope For The Northwest

Not all the recent aero-tax news is all that bad... as a matter of fact, there appears to be some hope for folks in the Northwest USA (Note to FL Legislature: Please take a hint). NBAA tells ANN that the general aviation community has reason for optimism in light of recent developments in a hard-fought battle to stop a proposed 0.5 percent annual excise tax on all aircraft based in the state.

On April 10, lawmakers in the state's House of Representatives approved an overall state tax bill without the increase, which had been included in earlier versions of the legislation. The State Senate has already signaled its opposition to the excise tax proposal, and is expected to vote on the House bill sometime today.

The welcome news follows a weeks-long advocacy campaign in which NBAA and its Members worked as part of a unified grassroots coalition that mobilized in opposition to the measure.

"Although the final vote hasn't been taken on this issue, it's important to recognize the work done by NBAA Members and others to ensure that the industry has been heard in the debate over this proposal, which could have such a detrimental impact on business aviation," said NBAA's Kristi Ivey, northwest regional representative.

FMI: www.nbaa.org/admin/taxes/state/wa/201002-wa-hb-3176-aircraft-tax.php