Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I want to wish you and your families a safe and happy New Year! With 2019 coming to an end, you should be aware of new taxes and laws that will be going into effect on January 1, 2020.

These new taxes include:

• Dry Cleaning – Existing state sales tax rate will be expanded to dry cleaning services & laundry services
• Parking – Existing state sales tax rate will be expanded to parking fees
• Interior Design Service – Existing state sales tax rate will be expanded to interior design services
• Safety Apparel – Tax exempt status on safety apparel is repealed, subjecting these items to existing sales tax rate (reflective vests, protective gloves, etc.)

New legislation effective dates are typically January 1st, July 1st, and October 1st throughout the calendar year. These new laws may have an impact on you, your business, or our community. I have highlighted some noteworthy new laws below and encourage you to take a look at the full list, which can be accessed by clicking here.

An Act Concerning Crumbling Concrete Foundations

This new law requires the Commissioner of Housing to establish a grant program to support the development of methods and technologies that reduce the average cost of repairing and replacing concrete foundations, modifies the Healthy Homes Fund surcharge, and redefines the term “residential building” as such term applies to various statutes concerning crumbling concrete foundations. To review the full summary, click here.

(more…)

ELLINGTON – State Representatives Christopher Davis (R-57) and Tim Ackert (R-8) along with State Senator Dan Champagne (R-35) recently co-hosted an informational forum and question and answer session with the Connecticut Insurance Department at the Ellington Senior Center.

The conversation focused on long-term care insurance policies. Insurance Department Commissioner Andrew Mais, Director of the Life & Health Division Paul Lombardo, and Director of the Consumer Affairs Division Gerard O’Sullivan were on hand to answer questions and address concerns from seniors.

(more…)

Dear Neighbors,

Now that Thanksgiving has passed and the holiday shopping rush has begun, I encourage you to shop local this season.

Shopping local not only helps out our neighbors who own and work at small businesses – it puts money right back into the local economy by ensuring that up to 67% of the money spent stays in our community.

With that in mind, I want to remind you that tomorrow, November 30^th, is Small Business Saturday, a nationwide celebration of small businesses’ contributions to our…

Read More