Michigan Taxpayers still owe billions for corporate tax credits

A small number of companies that still collect on tax credits from the Michigan Economic Growth Authority are expected to receive $533.1 million more from the state than they owe in taxes this year, according to a Senate Fiscal Agency report issued in December. But the amount each company receives is being kept secret from taxpayers.

MEGA, created in 1995 but largely closed in 2011, offered financial incentives to companies in the name of economic development. They could receive tax credits based on the wages they pay workers at a facility covered by an agreement between themselves and the state. Although the state has stopped awarding new credits, Michigan is still paying out on deals that last up to 20 years.

Companies with MEGA deals file tax returns under the Michigan Business Tax, which lawmakers repealed and replaced with the corporate income tax in 2011. Eligible companies may still file under the old tax and receive any credits for which they are entitled. Click here to read more.

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Detroit judge faces 45 years in prison on embezzlement charges, while another’s decisions being investigated

At least two judges in Detroit’s 36^th District Court are facing serious allegations of wrongdoing, including one now on paid leave as she faces felony embezzlement charges.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan last week charged Judge Andrea Bradley-Baskin, 46, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, several counts of money laundering, and one count of making a false statement to a federal law enforcement agent.

The charges stem from an alleged years-long scheme to embezzle money from incapacited invididuals that also included Nancy Williams, 59, Bradley-Baskin’s father Avery Bradley, 72, and Dwight Rashad, 69.

“We respect the authority that covers a black robe. This state judge and her cronies allegedly abused that high honor for personal gain by preying on the needy protected by the court,” U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon said in a statement. “This would be a grievous abuse of our public trust.” Click here to read more.

 

Four dead as illegal immigrant semi-truck driver plows into Amish van in Indiana

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Four people are dead after an illegal immigrant operating a semi-truck drove into oncoming traffic in Indiana on Tuesday, garnering sharp rebuke from the White House over the Biden-era CBP One APP.

Bekzhan Beishekeev, an illegal immigrant from Kyrgyzstan, failed to brake while driving on an Indiana highway when a semi-truck in front of him slowed down. Beishekeev, who was issued a commercial driver’s license by Pennsylvania in July last year, swerved and struck a vehicle with 15 people inside, many of whom were members of the Amish community.

He is now being held at Jay County Jail, and ICE has issued an immigration detainer against Beishekeev. Click here to read more.

 

Typical worker has under $1K saved in workplace retirement plans

The typical American worker has less than $1,000 saved in 401(k)-type accounts, largely because many people don’t have access to workplace retirement plans.

For workers ages 21 to 64, the median amount saved in defined contribution plans like 401(k)s is just $955, according to a new analysis of 2023 Census data by the National Institute on Retirement Security.

If that figure sounds low, it’s because it includes workers with no such savings at all. The analysis found that only 51% of workers had a defined contribution plan through their main employer.

That finding reflects the fact that many employers don’t sponsor such plans, and even when they do, not everyone participates. Click here to read more.

 

Property tax bills shock Colorado homeowners as temporary relief expires

Property tax bills landed in Colorado mailboxes this month, leaving many homeowners stunned by double-digit increases as temporary state relief measures expired and new assessment formulas took effect.

At the center of the increase is the expiration of a $55,000 property value exemption that had been in place for the past two years under Senate Bill 233.

“The $55,000 adjustment to actual value, which has been in existence for two years, ‘23 and ‘24, was removed for 2025,” Douglas County Assessor Toby Damisch said.

The elimination of that exemption had an unusual effect even on properties where market values didn’t change during the 2025 reappraisal cycle.

“If your value remained flat for the ‘25 reappraisal, meaning the assessor didn’t change it, in a way it automatically increased for property tax purposes by $55,000 because that value got put back on for this year,” Damisch said. Click here to read more.