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 Libertarians to Fight Tax Audits

(LaPorte, IN)  The Libertarian Party of Indiana today called for Indiana counties to cancel all contracts with Tax Management Associates, Inc. and other companies that allow for contingency fee based property tax audits of Indiana small business.

State Chairman Mark W. Rutherford said "Giving a private North Carolina firm the ability to harass Indiana small business by giving them 35% of whatever they find in their audit is simply outrageous. It only motivates Tax Management Associates to find all manner of excuses to enhance a business' property tax.   These contingency fee audits are unconscionable, poor public policy, unconstitutional and therefore invalid.  All counties entering such contracts must cancel them immediately.   We hope that Governor O'Bannon and the State Board of Tax Commissioners will wake up and suspend these audits.  They are a really bad idea."

Rutherford noted that this problem started last fall when the State Tax Board decided to allow personal property tax audits to be performed by a private auditing firm working on a contingency fee based contract.  Since then, several counties have either contracted or are in the process of contracting with Tax Management Associates, Inc. to perform the audits.  "These audits do raise serious questions about the potential release of confidential taxpayer information and their constitutionality.  It is extremely unfortunate that these contracts have bipartisan support at the county level."  Rutherford said. He noted that in LaPorte County, the Commissioners unanimously approved the contract in December and are now aggressively trying to audit local businesses.

Rutherford praised small businesses and groups that have chosen to fight these audits.  "It is very encouraging to see that many Indiana businesses and business associations have chosen to fight these audits through legal or political action.  But it is extremely unfortunate that they waste their valuable time and resources fighting a government that has become overly intrusive and downright hostile to small businesses. "

For additional information about this press release contact:

Mark Rutherford, Chairman (317) 637-6071 rutherfordlaw@prodigy.net
Brad Klopfenstein, Executive Director (317) 920-1994 lpinhq@lpin.org