AIA Takes Leading Position in New Tax Reform Coalition

The National American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced on March 22 that it has signed on as a charter member of “Parity for Main Street Employers” (PMSE), a coalition pushing for comprehensive tax reform that treats small business fairly.

Formerly called the Pass-Through Coalition, the Parity for Main Street Employers steering committee is made up of nine national trade groups actively representing private employers in the tax reform discussion. The group’s general membership is made up of those trade groups that have signed on to the tax reform principles letter that forms the core of the group’s advocacy efforts.

On March 17, a letter was released ahead of the hearing on Tax Reform before the Federal House Ways and Means Tax Policy Subcommittee. The letter, which was signed by more than 100 business groups including the AIA, calls on Congress to enact tax reform that is comprehensive, restores tax rate parity for all businesses, and reduces or eliminates the double tax imposed on corporations.

“Almost 80 percent of AIA members are small businesses,” said AIA President Russ Davidson, FAIA. “Any attempt to reform the tax code must protect such small businesses and restore rate parity between corporations and so-called pass-through businesses that contribute more than 50 percent of business income to America’s economy.”

“The AIA is proud to be a part of the PMSE as well as serve on its steering committee,” Davidson said.

The letter closes, “By embracing these broad concepts, Congress can move the taxation of business income in a direction that helps all employers, regardless of how they are organized, to invest and create jobs here in America.

About Parity for Main Street Employers
Parity for Main Street Employers represents more than one hundred national business groups representing millions of Main Street employers.  The coalition’s Steering Committee is made up of eight national trade groups – American Council of Engineering Companies, American Institute of Architects, Associated Builders and Contractors, Associated General Contractors of America, Independent Community Bankers of America, National Beer Wholesalers Association, National Roofing Contractors Association, S Corporation Association, and National Association of Wholesalers – while the general membership is made up of groups that have signed the letter outlining the three principles they believe tax reform should follow – comprehensive, restore rate parity, and reduce or eliminate the corporate double tax.

How Small Is Small?

A change to the definition of what qualifies as a small business in Virginia could have a substantial impact on Virginia firms and the way they do business with the Commonwealth.

HB 1901, which passed during Virginia’s last legislative session, changes the definition of small business to require the business, together with affiliates, to meet the small business size standards established by the regulations of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Currently under Virginia law, a small business is required to have 250 or fewer employees or average annual gross receipts of $10 million or less averaged over the previous three years.

Under the proposed change, a small business offering architectural services must make less than $7.5 million in average annual receipts.

The bill requires the Secretary of Commerce and Trade to convene a workgroup of interested stakeholders to examine how this change to the definition of small business in the Code of Virginia might impact Virginia businesses.

This workgroup will report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly on or before Dec. 1, 2015. The bill will not become effective unless reenacted by the 2016 Session of the General Assembly.

This study is currently underway and we’d like your help determining how this change might impact Virginia’s architecture firms. Please take a moment to complete this brief, 3-question survey.

While AIA Virginia doesn’t take an official position on this issue because of the diverse views held by our membership, we encourage you to reach out to your legislators or the Secretary’s office to share your views.

Related Topics and Resources:

Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity
Executive Order #20: Sets a 42% goal for small-business expenditures by executive branch agencies; establishes a micro-business category; and expands set-asides for small businesses
Micro Business: A new certification category