Taxes chase jobs and neighbors from Philadelphia, stop other firms and families from coming, and leave scars of decay across the city.

·        Philadelphia taxes what other jurisdictions do not — we stand out in a bad way.

·        Our tax burden is higher than our competitors — that makes us uncompetitive.

·        Our tax structure presents serious fairness issues in how we tax — likes are not treated alike and some pay more while others pay less.

The Tax Reform Commission spent $.5 million of public money and ten months to create a Tax Reform plan that is thoughtful, incremental, sensible, and fiscally responsible.

The plan is a package of recommendations that works like a three-legged stool:

·        Reduce the burden of the Wage Tax

·        Reduce the burden of business taxes

·        Improve the fairness of the Real Estate Tax system

Tax Reform Does Not Equal Service Reductions

The Tax Reform Commission was charged with being socially and fiscally responsible.  Its recommendations to make the tax reform package fiscally responsible include:

·        Generate additional tax revenues from job and tax-base growth.

·        Collect delinquent taxes from those who currently do not pay.

·        Initiate a tax amnesty program to collect back taxes.

·        Analyze and increase the City's Fine and Fee Structure to discourage violation of the law and ensure that fee revenues cover the cost of the services they are intended to fund.

·        Expand efforts to achieve efficiency in all city departments.

The Tax Reform Commission's plan fixes what is wrong and explicitly states that we should not use the excuse that we have other budgetary priorities to stop us from doing what we must to stop the city's long-term slide.

Tax Reform Will Move Philadelphia Forward

Philadelphia Tax Reform Now - We Can't Afford Not To