Sherrod Brown, John Thune team up on tax legislation

Who says Democrats and Republicans can’t come together on tax policy?

Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and John Thune (R-S.D.) – Finance members who often sit on opposite sides when it comes to tax and fiscal policy – announced new legislation Tuesday that they say would make tax compliance easier for workers who travel frequently.

As it stands, workers can face as many as 41 different state reporting requirements, with some states mandating that workers report as little as one day’s worth of work within their borders.

Brown and Thune’s bill would require that an employee work at least 30 days in a given state before being forced to file there. Business groups like the National Retail Federation, the National Association of Manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are backing the measure.

“This is a great example of government working to reduce burdensome and confusing barriers to help ease the cost of doing business for employers and their workers,” Brown said in a statement.

“Employees and employers shouldn’t be burdened with complex tax reporting requirements because jobs in the modern economy involve work in multiple states,” added Thune.