State leaders need to "repeal and replace" the controversial tech tax that has the state's tech industry howling, Gov. Deval Patrick acknowledged yesterday, a major shift that drew a nod of approval from critics of the tax but also more questions about what, if anything, takes its place.
"I think it's a serious blot on our reputation as an innovation center," Patrick told reporters yesterday, marking the first time his administration has publicly moved from weighing a repeal to outright supporting one.
"The solution is not just to repeal, but to repeal and replace and that's the part we're all working on together," said Patrick, who last week had a closed door meeting with business leaders pleading to kill the new 6.25 percent tax on software services. "And I think that the consensus in the room probably was that replacing it with something was the better way to go. And I think the hard part now is to figure out what to replace it with."
The governor's shift comes amid a growing outcry from the tech industry, Republicans and even some Democrats to reverse the law passed in July as part of the $500 million transportation financing bill.
Patrick, however, did not specify with what he prefers to "replace" the $161 million the state is counting on the tax generating. Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, said it's "unlikely" the Legislature would stomach another tax increase to take its place.
Widmer and House Minority Leader, Rep. Bradley H. Jones, both noted tax revenues are more than $139 million above benchmark so far this fiscal year, suggesting the excess funds as an avenue.
"Our idea of 'replace' is money we already have," said Jones, who with Sen. Bruce Tarr, filed a bill yesterday to repeal the tax. "We'd be happy to sit down at the table. But if your idea is to take $161 million out of the bucket and we need to replace that out of some other pocket ... we're not ready for that discussion."
Senate President Therese Murray told the Herald yesterday she wants to see "real numbers" before deciding whether to back a repeal, citing "some of our analysts" who put its impact at as low as $40 million. Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo has not yet weighed in publicly.
"I'd say you have three major players, and certainly when one of them supports a repeal, that's a very positive step," Widmer said. "Our hope is that the speaker and senate president in the near future would come to the same conclusion."
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