Recently Governor Kasich proposed a budget bill (HB59), which includes a new sales tax o n Architectural services. Clearly, this would create many obstacles and disadvantages for our profession just as the “Great Recession” is slowly beginning to turn to more positive futures for our members.
While we understand that our State must remain a competitive place for attracting new businesses, and we acknowledge that change in our corporate tax structure will facilitate progress, we also feel that requiring architects to charge and pay sales tax is neither in our best interest… or the state’s.
AIA-Ohio officers received their first briefing on the Governor’s sales tax proposal the afternoon that he announced it. We notified all members of the proposal via an AIA Ohio Legislative Alert and we surveyed members finding them unanimously opposed. Finally we researched the history of such proposals nationwide.
Following this internal and external investigation, we initiated discussions with the Ohio component of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC Ohio) and last Friday we delivered a joint letter to Governor Kasich respectfully requesting that architectural and engineering services be omitted from the sales tax provisions of House Bill 59.
Please feel free to contact me or our Executive Vice President, David Field, CAE, Hon. AIA with any questions or comments you may have. We will report our progress as it unfolds.
Thank you for all you do for our great profession!
Mike Schuster, FAIA
AIA Ohio President