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Sims: Bentley’s claim that eliminating deductions isn’t a tax hike is ‘absurd’

Yellowhammer News CEO Cliff Sims (Photo: Yellowhammer)
Yellowhammer News CEO Cliff Sims (Photo: Yellowhammer)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Yellowhammer CEO Cliff Sims took to Twitter on Wednesday to criticize Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley’s recent claim that eliminating tax deductions would not constitute a violation of his campaign pledge to not raise taxes in his second term.

According to Legislative Fiscal Office numbers cited by the Birmingham News, the state could bring in an additional $434 million by revoking Alabamians’ ability to deduct the amount they pay in federal income taxes from their state income taxes. Additionally, eliminating Alabama taxpayers’ ability to deduct their FICA payments — the 7.65 percent from employees’ paychecks that goes toward Social Security and Medicare — would raise another $260 million per year.

“I am not for raising taxes and this actually would not be raising taxes,” Bentley said earlier this week. “It would be taking away some deductions. That is certainly one of the things we’ll be looking at.”

Sims responded with a string of tweets Wednesday afternoon.

(If tweets are not visible below, you can view them here)

In addition to Gov. Bentley’s “No New Taxes” campaign advertising during this election cycle, he also signed the Americans for Tax Reform “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” in 2012. The pledge states that elected officials who sign it will not only oppose all efforts to raise taxes, but will also “oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.”

But what do you think? Would Gov. Bentley be breaking his “No New Taxes” campaign promise by eliminating tax deductions? Let us know what you think in the comment section below, or by tweeting @YHN or weighing in on our Facebook.


RELATED: Bentley calls for more revenue, but ‘No New Taxes’ campaign pledge leaves few options

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