Philly controller joins critics of business tax reform

Philadelphia City Controller Alan Butkovitz is planning a statement tomorrow on City Council's Bill Green-Maria Quinones Sanchez proposal to cut the city's business-income tax and boost the business revenue tax.

Butkovitz "has reservations about the tax proposal," says aide Brian Dries. He'll be joined by: 1) the General Building Contractors Association, which opposed the original version of the tax and has been reluctant to support it even with a subcontractors' exemption; and 2)  the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association, whose members are expected to pay more tax under the proposal.

Green and Quinones say their plan will exempt small businesses, will cost less for growing and profitable comapnies and some major existing manufacturing and law firm employers, and will cost companies from out of town that sell stuff here more, than under the current tax regime.