Governor Jan Brewer has made simplifying the state’s sales tax system a top priority for this legislative session. She convened a task force last year to come up with recommendations on how to do that. And now, a bill based on those proposals is moving through the legislature. As KJZZ’s Mark Brodie reports, this issue is also key for Arizona’s business community.

MARK BRODIE: If you use the phrase “tax policy,” eyes glazing over probably wouldn’t be the most surprising response you’d get. But, for people like Mark Giebelhaus, it’s a pretty big deal. He’s the President of Marlin Mechanical in Phoenix, which has been in business for 31 years. It’s mainly a plumbing company, but he says it also services heating and AC units. Giebelhaus, who also chairs the National Federation of Independent Business’ Leadership Council, sends his techs all over the Valley…which means lots of different sets of rules.

MARK GIEBELHAUS: Every jurisdiction that we’re in has different tax requirements, so we have to be very careful, especially for our service techs who are out calling at, your house in Glendale or wherever you may be. We have a sheet for them, so they know what the tax rate is in each individual jurisdiction that they have to charge. Then we have to collect that and track it and then pay all of those jurisdictions separately.

BRODIE: Giebelhaus says dealing with all of that isn’t gonna put him out of business, but it does take an employee several hours each month to deal with it. He says it would be a lot easier if he could send all sales tax money to the state, and let it handle the rest.

And, under the plan put forward by the governor, that’s pretty much what would happen. The state Revenue Department would collect all of the sales taxes, and then distribute the money to cities. As it stands now, some cities already allow the state to collect their taxes, while others do it themselves.

The proposal would also streamline the audit process. Right now, the state can audit a business to make sure it’s paying the right amount of sales tax, as can every city in which the company operates. Under the new plan, only the state would be allowed to conduct audits. The League of Arizona Cities and Towns opposes this, saying getting rid of local auditing would reduce compliance. But, James Busby, a CPA and tax attorney with the firm Gallagher and Kennedy, says the current system is a complex problem.

JAMES BUSBY: In order to collect taxes from your customers, if you’re Circle K, for example, you have to get a license from the taxing jurisdiction. You have an obligation to report taxes on a monthly basis. In addition, after you’ve filed those returns, you’ve got to make separate payments. You’re paying the state, and if you’re engaged in business in one of these cities that collects their own taxes, you have to pay the cities separately, too.

BRODIE: There’s another contentious issue. The bill moving through the legislature would change how contractors pay sales tax. Under that plan, contractors would be taxed on the materials the buy, where they buy them. Right now, they pay, based, in part, on where the project is being built. Cities have a few concerns about that, including the worry that they’d lose out on sales tax money, unless they have building supply stores. But, simplification supporters, like Mark Giebelhaus, say the plan would make it easier to do business in Arizona.

GIEBELHAUS: From our day-to-day operations, it would probably be a benefit to us because employees’ time that’s dedicated to all this tax collecting stuff could be used somewhere else. Something profitable, maybe, instead of overhead.

BRODIE: More plumbing, less paperwork?

GIEBELHAUS: Yeah, exactly.

BRODIE:The sales tax simplification bill cleared its first legislative committee earlier this month – another house panel will take it up, likely after the measure undergoes some changes. If the bill is OK’d there, it’ll go to the full house for debate.

Click Here To view Arizona lawmakers considering sales tax simplification plan!

We wanted to feature a story from Marlin Mechanical Corporation. The Sage Apartments in Phoenix AZ was a 304 unit project we were awarded to install the plumbing systems. It is comprised of twelve 3 story buildings, two 2 story buildings and a Clubhouse building.

Marlin Mechanical Corporation provides professional plumbing installations for new construction projects. Marlin has plumbed everything from small house remodels to 3 million dollar condominium and apartment projects. If you have a small or large project, just know that we can service your needs. We have skilled, trained and reliable plumbers that pride themselves on honesty and integrity. We can meet all of your needs, all you have to do is CALL now! Call Now: (602) 437-1948 www.MarlinMechanical.com

To change the temperature in your home, your heating and air-conditioning system pulls in air from inside your home, then blows the tempered air through ducts to the rooms in your home. That means, your air filters are an important part of your home. Air filters keep harmful particles away from the motor and coil. The blower motor will burn out if not kept clean and could cost you more than $300 to replace and if your coil freezes up it could cost you a whopping $1200 or more for a new compressor.

Also a dirty air filter makes your A/C unit work harder and longer causing your energy bill to increase by up to 35% or more each month.

Changing your air filter once a month will cut down on the airborne particles that cause allergies and viruses.

 According to the EPA, “Filters are used to protect the HVAC equipment from the buildup of unwanted materials on the surfaces such as fan motors and heating or cooling coils, and not for direct indoor air quality reasons. They have low efficiency on smaller airborne particles and medium efficiency on larger particles, as long as they remain airborne and pass through the filter. Some smaller particles found within a house include viruses, bacteria, some mold spores, a significant fraction of cat and dog allergens, and a small portion of dust mite allergens.”  THIS IS WHY WE AT MARLIN SERVIVES OFFER SEVERAL INDOOR AIR QUALITY PRODUCTS THAT WILL IMPROVE THE AIR IN YOUR HOME.

Marlin Services has expert technicians that can help you with all your home repair needs! Contact us for more information about air filters and how we can best service you!

Call Now: (602) 470-1040
Marlin Services AC

Every year… everywhere. March 11^th, is World Plumbing Day. This is a chance to create awareness for the importance of health and safety for people around the world. “The value of the plumbing profession can be seen in the aftermath of devastating events such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti or several recent tsunamis. When the plumbing infrastructure breaks down, disease moves in. Help advance the industry by supporting this day of awareness, answer calls with a World Plumbing Day greeting, support outreach to the public or schools, or conduct fix a leak week events. Let’s help raise awareness of the plumbing profession and the valuable services and careers that it can provide.  Be sure to also check out how you can get involved in “Fix A Leak Week,” March 18-24, 2013.”

Marlin Services is taking part in the World Plumbing Day, by spreading the word. We want to bring awareness to this very important day. This goes beyond just helping the United States, this is to help the WORLD!

For more information on how you can get involved visit us at:  MARLIN SERVICES

Also, call today: (602) 470-1040