In the News

Today, Virginia Representatives Gerald E. Connolly, Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, Donald S. Beyer, Jr., and A. Donald McEachin sent a letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady in support the state and local tax deduction.  

In the letter the members wrote, “We are committed to the state and local tax deduction and will oppose tax reform legislation that repeals this important part of the United States tax code and harms the family budgets of middle income households.”

“In the Commonwealth, 1.5 million households claim $16.5 billion in SALT deductions for an average deduction of $11,288 per household. Virginia has the nation’s 4th highest percentage of tax filers claiming a SALT deduction (37%),” they added.

Fairfax County residents alone claim nearly $4.62 billion in SALT deductions. In Loudoun County, nearly 100,000 tax filers claimed an average deduction of $14,986.

“We want smart tax reform that creates new economic opportunities for American families,” the members wrote. “However, repeal of the state and local tax deduction does not help us accomplish these important objectives. In fact, such a proposal would upend family budgets in Virginia.”

The full text of the letter follows and is available here:

The Honorable Kevin Brady
Chairman
Committee on Ways and Means
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C., 20515

Dear Chairman Brady,

We write to you on behalf of the taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Virginia to share our concern about plans to eliminate the state and local tax (SALT) deduction. We are committed to the SALT deduction and will oppose tax reform legislation that repeals this important part of the United States tax code and harms the family budgets of middle income households.

In the Commonwealth, 1.5 million households claim $16.5 billion in SALT deductions for an average deduction of $11,288 per household. Virginia has the nation’s 4^th highest percentage of tax filers claiming a SALT deduction (37%). Residents of Fairfax County, Virginia alone claim nearly $4.62 billion in SALT deductions. Nearly 100,000 tax filers in Loudoun County benefit from an average SALT deduction of $14,986. In Buckingham County, 95 percent of tax filers claiming the SALT deduction are middle income households. The SALT deduction helps the residents in these counties build better schools, invest in transportation improvements, and support law enforcement and public safety agencies.

We are especially concerned that repeal of the SALT deduction could harm home ownership in our districts. Repeal would make homes less affordable for more than 100,000 middle income filers in Chesterfield, Stafford, and Roanoke Counties, and could cost people their homes if families are no longer able to deduct their property taxes.

We want smart tax reform that creates new economic opportunities for American families. However, repeal of the SALT deduction does not help us accomplish these important objectives. In fact, such a proposal would upend family budgets in Virginia.

We commend your efforts to enact meaningful tax reform. We believe the SALT deduction is an important part of a simple and competitive tax code, and we urge you not to repeal it in future tax reform legislation.   

Sincerely,