Massachusetts offers amnesty on taxes

BOSTON – The Mass. Department of Revenue is offering a two-month amnesty period to business taxpayers with an outstanding liability.
Proposed by Gov. Deval L. Patrick and approved by the Legislature in November, the amnesty period will range from April 1 to June 1. Business taxpayers who take advantage of the amnesty period will not have to pay unpaid penalties or related interest.
Companies will, however, have to pay interest on their unpaid taxes.
The special business tax-amnesty program will apply to tax years or periods ending on or before Dec. 31, 2009, and covers a variety of different taxes, including use tax, meals tax and withholding taxes.
The amnesty covers a variety of business or trustee tax types, with the most significant dollars owed in sales and use tax, $165.4 million, meals tax, $93.4 million, and withholding tax, $126.2 million.
According to department estimates, the total tax owed in the amnesty bills to be issued is $408.8 million, but if all taxpayers were to pay during amnesty, the amount owed – minus penalties – would total $304.3 million. •