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Opinion: A business-friendly approach to raising city revenue

Vince Vasquez, LA JOLLA LIGHT

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

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At issue are “tax amnesties,” a policy whereby taxpayers are allowed for a limited time to repay part or all owed tax debt without financial penalties or prosecution. Amnesty programs are popular with municipal governments, who net new revenue and taxpayers through a short-term process, as well as delinquent enterprises, which may have accrued thousands of dollars in late fees and penalties for unreported income and unlicensed businesses. Though they vary in size and scope, tax amnesties all take a reasonable approach to capturing millions of dollars that would otherwise be used for parks, libraries and public safety services.