Jim Benge is a major part of the vision that brought favorite Dallas eateries like Crushcraft, Bottled Blonde and Kent and Co together. Jim is a seasoned commercial contractor and he has the experience to know what is in the best interest of his clients.
Jim prides himself on going beyond creating an inviting space where clients can run their business. For Jim, that has come to mean acting as an advocate on their behalf. Current tax law forces businesses that remodel an existing commercial space to pay an additional 8.25% tax on all labor. This is in addition to all the taxes that are to be expected on other kinds of construction.
This reality is confusing to new business owners, and it often creates stress in the contractor/client relationship. This surprise tax presents a big challenge for business owners in the critical and challenging opening months. But on top of the financial stress, the tax is forced to be collected by the contractor. This leads to many tricky issues between contractors and their clients that could be resolved by simply changing the method of collecting state revenue.
Jim feels the Commercial Remodel Tax (Texas Administrative Code, Title 34, Part 1, Chapter 3, Subchapter O, Rule 3.357 and Rule 3.291) should instead be collected by a statewide registration fee. Contractors already register at the local level, so simply adding registration at the state level could serve as a way to easily capture lost revenue from abolishing the tax.
Complicating matters further, there are contractors who charge for these taxes, but don’t remit them to the state. Jim’s plan would eliminate this confusion. Jim wants to allow for more transparency while making everyone’s job simpler.
“This law cannot remain in place and no minor reform will solve the problem,” said Jim. “There must be a full replacement that continues creating state revenue while working for the contractors who work to generate that revenue.”
He’s launched a campaign to create change and is looking for all the help he can get. Learn more at http://www.acrttexas.com
