Committee reviews batch of tax bills and administrative anomalies; credit‑card fee bill tied to pending court case
January 17, 2026 | Finance, SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont
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The Finance committee reviewed a range of tax bills and administrative issues and directed staff to follow up with drafters before reintroduction.
Speaker 3 said she had updated a version of an unpaid‑caregivers tax credit based on feedback and confirmed the measure had been routed to Health and Welfare rather than Taxation. "I updated based on feedback we got last year," Speaker 3 said about the unpaid‑caregivers credit.
A previously paused bill that would have shifted credit‑card fees was discussed. Speaker 3 said that measure had been put on hold while a related court case was pending and asked staff to ask the drafter whether the court case had been settled before bringing the bill back. Speaker 3 described the effect broadly as shifting fees and said the newer version “shifts the cost from banks to prayer.”
Speaker 1 raised local property‑tax anomalies and tax‑sale thresholds, describing a Warren parcel where annual taxes were "$100 to $200 a year" and noting municipalities had limited options under the rewritten tax‑sale statute. Speaker 1 asked staff (Jill) to check whether existing waiver authority could address such cases or whether legislative fixes are needed.
Other items discussed included a manufacturers' tax credit that local firms could not use because it was tied to corporate income tax; Speaker 2 said the bill had been drafted to make that credit refundable up to a cap to improve utility. Speaker 2 also raised potential miscellaneous or committee bills to accommodate reverse‑mortgage language and other small tax changes; Speaker 1 suggested the Department of Taxation often provides a miscellaneous revenue bill to which items can be attached.
No formal actions or votes were recorded. Committee members asked staff to (1) check whether the court case affecting the credit‑card fee bill has been resolved, (2) follow up with the drafter on amending bills as appropriate, and (3) schedule presentations (including the Joint Fiscal modeling request noted separately) so the committee can consider drafting options.
Speaker 3 said she had updated a version of an unpaid‑caregivers tax credit based on feedback and confirmed the measure had been routed to Health and Welfare rather than Taxation. "I updated based on feedback we got last year," Speaker 3 said about the unpaid‑caregivers credit.
A previously paused bill that would have shifted credit‑card fees was discussed. Speaker 3 said that measure had been put on hold while a related court case was pending and asked staff to ask the drafter whether the court case had been settled before bringing the bill back. Speaker 3 described the effect broadly as shifting fees and said the newer version “shifts the cost from banks to prayer.”
Speaker 1 raised local property‑tax anomalies and tax‑sale thresholds, describing a Warren parcel where annual taxes were "$100 to $200 a year" and noting municipalities had limited options under the rewritten tax‑sale statute. Speaker 1 asked staff (Jill) to check whether existing waiver authority could address such cases or whether legislative fixes are needed.
Other items discussed included a manufacturers' tax credit that local firms could not use because it was tied to corporate income tax; Speaker 2 said the bill had been drafted to make that credit refundable up to a cap to improve utility. Speaker 2 also raised potential miscellaneous or committee bills to accommodate reverse‑mortgage language and other small tax changes; Speaker 1 suggested the Department of Taxation often provides a miscellaneous revenue bill to which items can be attached.
No formal actions or votes were recorded. Committee members asked staff to (1) check whether the court case affecting the credit‑card fee bill has been resolved, (2) follow up with the drafter on amending bills as appropriate, and (3) schedule presentations (including the Joint Fiscal modeling request noted separately) so the committee can consider drafting options.
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