NFIB Scorecard

A+   

Issue: Indiana becomes the 23rd right-to-work state in the nation.

NFIB's Take: In two NFIB/IN State Member Ballots, small business owners voted overwhelmingly to support passage of right to work. As a result, your NFIB/IN team was on the front lines battling the unions during the very contentious debate. NFIB applauds the leadership and legislators who had the courage to vote for this landmark right-for-small business legislation.
 

D   

Issue: Pres. Obama proposes to cut the top corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 28 percent, and to 25 percent for manufacturers, while providing small business with some additional tax incentives; but he makes no proposal with regard to cutting individual rates.   

NFIB's Take: Reforming the corporate tax code does not help the majority of small businesses. The focus should be on individual rate reform, keeping the tax rates for small businesses low, and allowing small businesses to actually grow and create jobs—as opposed to being a piggy bank for the IRS.
 

B+                                    

Issue: After meeting with NFIB, the IRS decides, for now, not to move forward with a new paperwork burden on small businesses associated with the 1099-K form.
   
NFIB's Take: We appreciate that the IRS provided small business taxpayers relief with respect to merchant-card reporting on their 2011 returns. However, starting in the 2012 tax year, small business owners may be required to take an onerous and unnecessary extra step on their annual income tax returns to comply with the merchant-card and third-party reporting law.

F   

Issue: Pres. Obama releases his 2013 budget, calling for tax increases in capital gains, estate and dividends, and income tax increases on those earning more than $250,000, as well as introducing the ill-defined Buffett Rule.   

NFIB's Take: The president has failed to act on the No. 1 initiative that would provide certainty to small business owners—making the current individual rates permanent.
 
 

A   

Issue: The Florida House passes a bill to increase the exemption of tangible personal property taxes for small business, completely exempting businesses from paying the tax if they have less than $50,000 in tangible personal property. At press time, the bill was in the Senate. If passed, the bill would face voters in November to become a constitutional amendment.                             

NFIB's Take: This exemption was a top priority of NFIB/FL this year, as it is uniquely and specifically tailored to the state’s small businesses. It will deliver significant tax relief to small business owners, saving over 156,000 of them from the burden of this tax.

D                                                  

Issue: Congress votes to adopt a deal on the payroll tax, extending unemployment benefits and reforming the unemployment system, all while increasing the budget deficit by $119.5 billion over the next five years.   

NFIB's Take: While Congress made some needed reforms to the unemployment system, it failed to act on making current income-tax rate reductions permanent, which would give small business owners the certainty they need to expand their businesses.