It’s been a busy couple of months for legislative matters that affect CPAs. Hot button issues are prevalent at both the state and federal levels. The MACPA legislative team has taken their efforts to Washington and back home, as we hosted a major reception in support of U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow.

A Hero to the Profession
While the MACPA has built many positive relationships with various key legislators over the years, perhaps none are as positive and fruitful as our friendly relationship to U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow. Sen. Stabenow has been nothing short of a hero to the CPAs in Washington D.C. She was a major player in the successful effort to repeal the so-called 1099 requirement that came with the passage of the federal health care legislation. She also cosponsored legislation to ban the practice of patenting tax strategies. We are very lucky to have Sen. Stabenow, as a leader supporting our profession in Washington, on our side.

For that reason the MACPA recently hosted a reception in our Troy offices on behalf of Sen. Stabenow. She took time to sit down and talk to CPAs for more than an hour about the many issues affecting the profession and our state. The MACPA is proud to have such an ally of the profession and the reception was a great success.

MACPA Board Treasurer Ramona Pearson thanks Senator Stabenow for supporting repeal of the 1099 requirement.

 

MACPA Chair of the Board Greg Nowak expresses the need for tax return due date reform.

Senator Stabenow discusses the issues of major concern to CPAs at length. She took questions for nearly an hour, despite her staff’s concern about the time.

Advocacy in U.S. Congress
This May, members of the MACPA Legislative Advisory Group and several MACPA Board members headed to Washington D.C. to attend the meeting of AICPA Governing Council and visit with nearly every member of the Michigan Congressional delegation.

In all, a dozen MACPA member-advocates descended upon Washington D.C. delivering our message to the Michigan delegation. Federal matters are equally prevalent as state issues these days. At their meetings with Representatives and Senators, MACPA members discussed the dangers posed by tax strategy patents, the AICPA goal of revising tax return due dates, and federal tax policy simplification among the many other issues relevant to the profession in Lansing.
Soon after we met with the Michigan delegates, H.R. 1249, the patent reform bill that included the ban on tax strategy patents, was passed. The AICPA was an excellent leader in this effort on a national scale and the MACPA was eager to work with the Michigan Congressional delegation in that regard.

Top