Part 2 - Maryland General Assembly 2011 Legislative Update

Maryland General Assembly 2011 Legislative Update – Affordable Housing and Taxes

HB-1245 – RECORDATION TAX AND STATE TRANSFER TAX – EXEMPTIONS – STATUS:  PASSED – Effective July 1, 2011 – Expands the class of intra-family real property transfers that are exempt from recordation and transfer taxes to grandparents and step-grandparents.

Maryland General Assembly 2011 Legislative Update – Miscellaneous

SB 182 – MARYLAND HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGE ACT OF 2011 – STATUS: PASSED – Effective June 1, 2011 – Provides the initial framework of the Health Benefit Exchanges that will become available to all Marylanders in 2014.  These state exchanges are intended to provide greater choice and affordability in health insurance particularly to indidividuals like independent contractors.

Maryland General Assembly 2011 Legislative Update – Commercial

HB 463 – PROPERTY TAX – SEMI-ANNUAL PAYMENT SCHEDULE – BUSINESS PROPERTY – STATUS: PASSED – Effective to tax years starting after June 30, 2012 – Expands the number of businesses that may pay property taxes under a semi-annual schedule.  Under the existing law, only a small business assigned a commercial use code by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation and whose annual property taxes does not exceed $50,000 may pay property taxes on a semi-annual schedule.  This bill allows any business assigned a commercial use code and paying property taxes up to $100,000 to pay taxes semi-annually.

HB 601 – SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES TAX CREDIT PROGRAM – ELIGIBILITY – STATUS: PASSED: Effective July 1, 2011 – Clarifies that the Sustainable Communities Tax Credit may be used for commercial properties that have already begun rehabilitation work, if the rehabilitation work had already been approved under the Federal Historic Tax Credit.

For more information:   http://mlis.state.md.us/.