Baker hoping to use obscure law to return billions of dollars to taxpayers
BOSTON – Gov. Charlie Baker wants to send you a check using an obscure law some lawmakers may have forgotten about.
The proposal would mean billions of dollars would go back to taxpayers, and it's all because of a ballot question that voters approved in 1986.
Baker said Thursday while signing the state budget said he hopes to trigger the clause, which allows his administration to send tax rebates when the state budget is overflowing.
For you, that means about 7% of your 2021 income taxes being returned, depending on which credits you already used.
This would not be a decision from lawmakers. The state auditor has all the power and is scheduled to make the call in September.
"This is really unprecedented increases in tax revenue which is really what this thing was designed to do to make sure the people of Massachusetts participated in that windfall," Baker said.