Fresh start: After suspending its tax amnesty program last month after finding a mistake in some of the original amnesty invitation letters, the state Department of Revenue relaunched the program today. During the month-long program that ends on Dec. 31, individuals and businesses with delinquent tax accounts can clear up their accounts by paying unpaid bills and filing overdue state tax returns. The Department of Revenue says amnesty will be granted to people who pay 100% of their delinquent taxes, 83% of their remaining interest and 67% of their penalties due. LDR officials suspended the program last month after discovering a mistake with the information included in some of the original amnesty invitation letters. At that time, the department determined it was in the best interest of the state and taxpayers to suspend the program until corrected letters were mailed. Get complete program details.
Hammers ringing: U.S. construction spending jumped in October, fueled by solid gains in home building and the largest increase in federal construction in nine years, The Associated Press reports. The Commerce Department announced this morning that construction spending rose 1% in October from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of more than $1.1 trillion. That’s the highest level since December 2007 when the Great Recession began. The construction of single-family homes and apartments climbed 1%, also reaching their highest level since December 2007. Manufacturers boosted their construction spending by 3%. And federal government building soared 19.2%, the biggest increase since October 2006. More Americans are buying new homes or renting apartments, driving greater residential development. Construction spending has increased 13% in the past 12 months.
Upon further review: After several years of pressure by U.S. catfish farmers and consumer groups, the federal Department of Agriculture has announced it will created an inspection program for catfish raised in the U.S. and abroad to meet USDA safety standards. The program, which is similar to the inspection undergone by meat and poultry producers, will begin in March 2016 after being introduced as part of the 2014 Farm Bill. “We applaud (USDA) Secretary (Tom) Vilsack and his USDA team for finally releasing this rule,” Catfish Farmers of America President Bari Cain says in a news release. “This effort has always been about food safety. After years of almost non-existent FDA inspection of imports, placing the health of consumers at risk, we are on the road to raising consumer confidence in the catfish products sold in our stores and our restaurants.”
