The Office of the Comptroller released its detail of the January distributions of county income taxes.  According to the electronic message, the January distribution totals $70.4 million, an increase of almost 60% over last year’s distribution. The additional filings distribution (all returns posted between November 1 and December 31, primarily late-filed returns) is $53.0 million, twice last year’s distribution.  As this distribution deals with a relatively small number of returns, less than one-half of one…

As reported by the Baltimore Sun, state assessors will release details today on the most recent round of property assessments where homeowners will see their property values decline by a statewide average of 22 percent. Assessed values dropped on 95 percent of the residential properties compared with their last reassessment in late 2007, when home prices were just beginning to reverse after big increases. Assessors calculated the decline in home valuations at $50 billion statewide.…

As reported by the Washington Post under Maryland Politics, Montgomery County has filed a federal lawsuit against online travel vendors claiming that the county is not receiving its appropriate share of hotel taxes. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on Dec. 21, mirrors others filed across the country by states and localities that argue that their jurisdictions have been shortchanged. According to the suit, the online companies pay the county the 7…

Yesterday, President Barack Obama announced his plan to keep salaries of federal employees flat over the course of the next two years in an effort to decrease government spending. With the approval of Congress, the  plan is  projected to save $60 billion over the course of ten years.  With a number of federal employees residing in Maryland, many question what impact this will have on the state's revenues. The Gazette reports: The impact on Maryland revenues, which are in…