OABA CONTINUES TO SEEK CAT RELIEF

Your Association objects to unfair competition

As an OABA member, you are now beginning to see how Ohio's recently enacted Commercial Activity Tax (CAT) is affecting your business' bottom line. If the tax affected our industry equally across the board we wouldn't have much of an argument, but it doesn't - particularly in the high volume-low margin grain business. Goods and services exported from the state are exempt from the tax. This means two like businesses, one exporting most of its grain/feed and the other selling most of its grain/feed within the state are affected significantly different by the CAT. The Ohio AgriBusiness Association is opposed to this uncontrollable differential and will again seek to amend the tax law to give relief to those grain businesses in Ohio who predominately sell within Ohio's borders.

We are currently meeting with the Ohio Farm Bureau and others to determine the most effective way to pursue the amendment. When the time comes, we will need testimony from several of you who are licensed grain handlers and adversely affected by the CAT. Please let Gary King (gking@oaba.net or (614) 326-7520) know if you are willing to testify, so we can start laying the groundwork now. ONLY YOU CAN RIGHT THIS DIFFERENTIAL CREATED BY A TAX RUSHED THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE DURING THE LAST HOURS OF THE BUDGET BILL!