CFRB Fights for Belmont Taxpayers – and Wins

Citizens for a Fiscally Responsible Belmont joined forces with other taxpayer advocate groups to fight for the refund of your state tax payments according to a decades-old law, Chapter 62F.   This week the state auditor announced that $3 billion would be returned to taxpayers here in Belmont and throughout the state.

Chapter 62F specifies return of taxes to you, the taxpayer,  in the instance of an excess state surplus, and Massachusetts tax collections yielded a $5 billion surplus this past fiscal year.  

When Governor Baker announced this surplus, state leaders’ initial reaction was to seek to keep the money from the Massachusetts taxpayer.   CFRB President Dawn MacKerron and Vice President Marie Warner agreed to be among plaintiffs should a lawsuit be required to uphold the law, and a coalition of other fiscal responsibility advocates notified the state that taxpayers were prepared to fight for this refund.   Click here to read the Press release and this quote from CFRB President Dawn MacKerron.  

“As advocates for our local Belmont taxpayers, we support the effort to uphold Chapter 62F of Massachusetts law as it applies to Massachusetts taxpayers. Citizens for a Fiscally Responsible Belmont protects and advocates for Belmont’s taxpayers. We are proud to lend our names and support to this effort should there be resistance to enforcing that law and to returning hard-earned money to Massachusetts taxpayers,” stated Dawn MacKerron, President of Citizens for a Fiscally Responsible Belmont.

With the certification of the surplus, plus the threat of a taxpayer lawsuit Beacon Hill leaders backed down and the Governor has announced plans for the distribution of the refunds.  This planning is still underway; Click here for a 62F Rebate calculator on the state website to estimate your tax rebate amount.