Regarding a Kansas City bill aimed at raising taxes that are geared towards closing the gap on a budget deficit, House members are expected to vote it down.

The session regarding the final vote on the bill ended earlier this month, a move often used in order to buy extra time for House leaders to sway the opinions of those who are not yet convinced towards the direction of their vote. The bill not only increases sales and cigarette taxes, but also adds a tax increase for business owners. If you are a small business owner who is moving to Kansas City, local movers want you to be aware of the potential policy changes and stay on top of the business tax motions and changes.

The Kansas City government does not allow the state to have a deficit, which explains the need for the tax increases.

Commenting on the $15.4 billion budget already set in place, House Majority Leader Jene Vickrey shared that, “none of us, I think, comprehend at this moment what is going to happen to our citizens,” potentially hindering residents in the area and those who were looking to move to Kansas.

The main argument against raising the taxes was attributed to the fact that over 330,000 Kansas business owners had profits that were exempt under a separate policy created by Governor Brownback. In fact, the governor went on the record and stated that he would immediately veto any plan that included an increase of more than $24 million.

If the bill does make it past the Kansas City House of Representatives and into daily life, then the sales tax would ultimately increase from 6.15% to 6.55% and the cigarette tax would increase a total of 50 cents a pack, totaling $1.29 per pack.

Those mainly affected are the middle-class families in the Kansas City community if the bill does end up being passed, something that Kansas City movers are not entirely thrilled about. Currently, the debate over the bill continues on within the Kansas House.