Tagged: taxes

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill could owe a total of nearly $320,000 in overdue property taxes, interest and penalties on an airplane that has caused her political headaches.

McCaskill sent about $287,000 to St. Louis County earlier this week after acknowledging that property taxes had not been paid on a plane owned by a company in which she and her husband have an interest. But that may not be enough money.

Republicans are attacking Senator Claire McCaskill for failing to own up to her own rhetoric about openness and accountability.

The state Republican Party is calling on McCaskill to release tax records associated with a controversial airplane at the center of a tax and accounting scandal.

Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill admitted today that she has failed to pay up approximately $287,000 in back taxes on a personal airplane.

Problems with McCaskill's plane surfaced several weeks ago amid reports that her office improperly billed the government for travel to a political event.

McCaskill took responsibility for that mistake, but she admits that the perception of dodging taxes could hurt her chances for re-election in 2012.

An Illinois Senate committee has voted to raise cigarette taxes by $1 a pack and use the money for construction projects around the state.

Senators split along party lines Wednesday, with nine Democrats supporting the increase and six Republicans opposing it. The measure now goes to the full Senate.

Democrats say the cigarette tax could replace other sources of construction money that are tied up in a legal dispute. They also say it would cut state health costs by discouraging smoking.

Republicans argue the increase would disproportionately fall on the poor.

A House committee has voted along partisan lines to advance a proposal eliminating Missouri's income taxes and replacing them with a higher sales tax.

The vote Wednesday by the House Tax Reform Committee marked the first step toward moving the so-called "Fair Tax" proposal to the 2012 statewide ballot. All the Republicans on the committee voted for the measure and all the Democrats opposed it.