November 11, 2011 9:00 AM CST

Senate passes repeal of 3% withholding

House to vote again

By Tim O’Toole

The U.S. Senate voted 95-0 yesterday, with one Senator voting "Present," to repeal H.R. 674, the 3% withholding law on all federal, state and local government contracts.

The Senate amended the bill to include tax credits for companies that hire unemployed veterans and mandate a study of tax compliance by federal contractors. The Senate did not consider any amendments contemplated by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to continue to apply the withholding to delinquent taxpayers.

The legislation will now move back to the U.S. House of Representatives, where lawmakers passed a similar measure last month. President Barack Obama supports repealing the withholding law.

The MCAA has opposed the withholding and has urged Members of Congress to repeal this law. MCAA members are encouraged to write their Representatives today and ask them to support the repeal of the 3% withholding law.

More information about the 3% withholding tax can be found online at www.masoncontractors.org/3percent.

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About the Author

Tim O’Toole is the Director of Marketing, Education, and Information Technology for the MCAA. He has a Masters in Business Administration from Webster University and has worked in the masonry industry since 2003.