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Committee approves bill allowing CPA affidavits instead of full financial disclosures for local gross-receipts taxes
Summary
House Bill 141 would let businesses certify gross receipts to local governments via a CPA affidavit rather than submitting full financial records; supporters said the measure protects proprietary data while preserving local tax collection.
The Senate Finance Committee approved House Bill 141, a bill that lets businesses elect to provide a certified affidavit from a certified public accountant (CPA) to local governments in lieu of submitting full internal financial records when reporting gross receipts for local business-occupation taxes.
Representative Monahan presented the bill and said it aims to protect business financial privacy while preserving local governments’ ability to collect business-occupation tax revenue. "House Bill 141 provides a simple, secure, and accountable alternative by allowing businesses to submit an affidavit from a CPA … rather than submitting extensive financial documentation," Monahan said.
Supporters in committee, including Vice Chairman Albers and Senator Hickman, said the measure would reassure small businesses worried about sensitive vendor and payroll data being stored by local governments and could reduce cybersecurity exposure. Senator Hickman also stressed that the affidavit is optional; businesses may continue to file records directly if they prefer.
The committee moved and seconded the bill and approved it by voice vote; the transcript records the approval as unanimous in committee. Committee discussion noted questions about whether taxpayers without CPA relationships would be served and suggested scope for allowing other credentialed professionals in the future, but the bill as presented limited certification to CPAs.
