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Rep. Wendzel, House offer desperately needed tax relief for Michigan families, seniors, veterans
RELEASE|May 20, 2022

State Rep. Pauline Wendzel is continuing her fight to bring desperately needed relief to hard-working people and families across Southwest Michigan, as the Michigan House approved a wide-ranging plan to slash taxes to help people keep more of what they earn.

Wendzel said House Bill 4568 and Senate Bill 784 are yet another opportunity to put more money back in people’s pockets as personal budgets buckle under unrelenting, record-high inflation. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has vetoed recent attempts to provide people with tax relief. One vetoed plan supported by Rep. Wendzel and House Republicans consisted of a $2.5 billion tax cut through a reduced income tax rate for all individual payers and increased savings for more parents and seniors.

“Across Southwest Michigan, prices and the cost of daily life is increasing, and family budgets are being crushed,” Rep. Wendzel said.  “The people of Southwest Michigan work hard for their money and deserve somebody in Lansing who will work just as hard to help them keep more of it.  As their voice, I’m taking action to fight inflation.”  Rep. Wendzel continued, “Democrats are focused on growing government, spending more money, and strangling American energy production.  These ideas have failed – clearly.  It’s time to stop doubling down on bad policy and truly help Michigan families by providing broad, desperately needed ongoing tax relief.”

The new Family Inflation Relief Plan cuts taxes by $2.5 billion annually by lowering the state income tax rate to 4 percent and allowing single filers to keep an extra $1,800 of what they earn each year tax-free, or $3,600 with joint filers, through increased personal income tax exemptions. The plan also creates a $500 per child tax credit to help those who are trying to raise a family in the face of surging costs and increases the earned income tax credit to 20 percent from 6 percent – a key contention from Whitmer when laying out her own ideas for tax relief and vetoing previous measures that would have saved Michiganders money.

The proposal also looks out for seniors and veterans. The standard deduction for people 67 and older would increase to $21,800 for single filers and $43,600 for joint filers. Expanded property tax relief for disabled veterans and their families will allow more people to stay in their homes.

“Our plan is comprehensive,” Rep. Wendzel said.  “We’re helping low-income earners who are struggling living paycheck to paycheck in the Biden Economy.  We’re helping senior citizens, many who live on fixed incomes, and we’re helping our heroes who have sacrificed for their country and can no longer work due to their injuries.  Our plan helps every Michigan resident, it includes recommendations from the governor, and needs to be signed into law now.”

The bulk of the tax plan, contained in House Bill 4568, was approved by the state House and Senate today and now advances to the governor for consideration. The remainder of the plan in Senate Bill 784 was approved by the Senate and is expected to pass the House early next week.

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