Dear Taxpayer,
The Springfield tax-raisers—of both political parties—are planning to hit taxpayers with another tax increase, and this one is a cowardly sneak-attack that you must fight immediately in order to stop it.
As you are reading this, the state’s car rental companies are working with Illinois lawmakers to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a bill that would tax and regulate the promising peer-to-peer car sharing industry. The Chicago Tribune and the Sun Times have already reported on this anti free market bill, but pro bureaucracy lawmakers seem hellbent on pushing it through.
The state’s car rental companies, which are facing competition from startups, are behind this proposed legislation in order to crush competition.
Peer-to-peer car rental companies allow individuals to rent their car out. Currently, there are more than 6,100 car owners in Illinois who rent their vehicles out to others.
Lawmakers want to override Rauner’s veto to Senate Bill 2641, by passing requirements for companies like Turo and their members to provide detailed cost estimates, abide by stricter vehicle recall requirements, and pay an additional 5 percent state tax with the possibility of additional local taxes.
Lobbyists for rental companies said this money goes to infrastructure and that rideshare companies should have to pay the same tax. However, rental companies are exempt from paying sales tax on the vehicles they buy, a break worth an estimated $200 million a year.
The Illinois State Senate took one step closer to eliminating peer-to-peer car sharing in Illinois by overriding a bill vetoed by Governor Rauner. Prodded by Enterprise-Rent-A-Car, the Senate passed a bill that would regulate individual car owners using a company like Turo as a rental car company.
The Senate acted without a single hearing regarding this stealthy tax increase. Now the battle moves to the Illinois House of Representatives.
Please contact your Illinois House Representative and tell him or her to vote NO on Senate Bill 2641. It’s urgent that you call your legislator today. The Springfield office switchboard is 217-782-2000.
Thanks for helping stop this sneaky tax hike!
