On hold: The Louisiana Department of Revenue announced it has suspended the state’s tax amnesty program through the end of the month after discovering a mistake included in some of the letters it sent to delinquent taxpayers. “LDR determined it was in the best interest of the state and taxpayers to suspend amnesty until corrected letters are mailed,” the department says in a statement issued Tuesday. Impacted taxpayers will receive an updated letter by Dec. 1, LDR says. The amnesty program—which had begun on Monday and was set to run through Dec. 15—will now be held between Dec. 1 and and Dec. 31. State lawmakers hope to raise $73 million through the program, which allows delinquent taxpayers to pay their debts with fewer penalties and interest than they otherwise would be charged. Get complete details.
Paying up: The Louisiana Workforce Commission says audits have identified nearly 9,400 employees at 865 companies in the state who have been misclassified as independent contractors, resulting in the collection of more than $923,000 in unemployment insurance taxes owed by employers. Misclassifying employees as independent contractors can lead to companies not paying unemployment taxes, workers’ compensation premiums and their portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes, LWC says. They may also gain an unfair competitive advantage over competitors by improperly lowering their labor costs. LWC says audits of companies continue and by the end of the year the number of misclassified workers identified should surpass last year’s record discovery of 13,782 misclassified employees. LWC has more details.
Drive safe: Despite historic increases in seat belt use statewide, more people died in traffic crashes in Louisiana in 2014 than did the year before, according to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. The Shreveport Times reports officials point to an increase in alcohol-related crashes among young drivers and a greater number of vehicles traveling Louisiana’s roads and highways. There were 664 fatal crashes and 739 people killed on Louisiana roadways in 2014, according to newly finalized data. This represents an increase of 2% and 5.1%, respectively, since 2013—although crashes and fatalities are down about 26% overall since 2007. The findings are included in the 2014 Louisiana Traffic Records Data Report, which is compiled annually by the LSU Highway Safety Research Group. Read the full story.
