Tax Call to Action

We do not ask small business owners to contact Legislators or the Governor unless it is very important and tonight, we have such an ask. 

The Legislature and the Governor are considering and will likely vote in the next day or two on legislation that will cancel $700 million in small business and individual tax relief and use the money to fund tax incentives for a handful of multinational corporations.  

The Income Tax Act has a provision that says that when state general fund revenue goes up 40% faster than inflation, the income tax rate reduces. This is the main tax that small businesses pay.

Well, last year that provision was triggered.

Because of this, as of January 1, 2023, the tax rate was supposed to roll back to 4.05% saving individuals and small businesses $700 million. But the state delayed the reduction in the small business tax rate and is now trying to get votes to cancel the small business tax relief. They are literally cancelling the small business tax relief in an accounting gimmick that puts the money into the fund used for big business tax breaks.  Politicians always say that they support small businesses – but they stand on the verge of proving just the opposite.

Please participate in our call to action by demanding that big business tax breaks not come at the expense of small business owners. 

The 2021 Mechanical rules are now open, and we are seeking your input.

For your convenience, a Proposal Rule/Code Change Request form is attached.The current Mechanical rule set can be reviewed under our Administrative Rules webpage. Proposals for this rule set must be submitted to LARA-BCC-Rules@michigan.gov by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 9, 2022. Status of the rule set progression will be posted on our website.

To be included in our email distribution list and stay updated on rule set information, please send an email to LARA-BCC-Rules@michigan.gov with the rule set that you want to be informed on in the subject line. You will be notified of upcoming public hearings, proposed code changes, and any other relevant information.

If you would like MIACCA to submit on your behalf instead, please send your comments to M.J. D'Smith by December 5, 2022 at mjdsmith@miacca.org.

Alexandria, VA (October 19, 2022) - The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) notified the Department of Energy (DOE) this month that it opposes the July 7, 2022, notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) to revise the energy efficiency standards for residential natural gas furnaces. The proposal, if adopted, would negatively impact ACCA's over 3,000 member companies, individual homeowners, including low-income households, small businesses, and seniors.

Federal and state lawmakers and regulators focus a significant amount of time on the HVACR industry because of the energy its products consume. Former Secretary of Energy, Ernest Moniz believed energy efficiency improvements within the HVACR industry could have an enormous impact on addressing peak demand for electricity going forward. ACCA agrees with the Secretary, but the DOE is not focused on the problems that ACCA's contractor members work on every day: incorrect equipment sizing and poor equipment installations.

"The problem of poor HVAC installations is rampant in part due to many public officials believing that industry-recommended installation standards and training programs are aspirational and do not require trained technicians," said Barton James, ACCA president and CEO. "If DOE would turn their attention to educating and incentivizing homeowners to demand that HVAC systems are installed according to the industry's recommended minimum standards, then the HVACR industry would be able to meet Secretary Moniz's wish for a 25 to 30 percent improvement in efficiency, and far exceed the goals from this furnace rule."

"ACCA strongly believes that America's HVAC Contractors should have options for their customers based on their applications needs, fuel and installation cost, energy reliability, and product availability when it comes to heating homes and businesses. ACCA once again opposes this latest attempt by the DOE to offer a solution that does not address the root energy problem," added James. "This regulation will create an unnecessary burden on homeowners, who already are facing increasing costs of living, by demanding them to install equipment that they can neither afford nor will reach the desired efficiency that the DOE claims this regulation is needed to meet. ACCA firmly stands by the position that HVACR contractors and consumers should have access to whatever source of fuel makes the most sense for their business and economic needs. If the DOE wants to have a real impact on reducing fuel use and increasing the energy efficiency of heating systems, they should focus on proper equipment sizing, correct duct design, and quality installations based on nationally recognized standards such as ACCA's Manual J®, Manual S®, and Manual D®, which help ensure that systems are properly sized, have the correct ductwork, and are installed in a manner that allows the equipment it reach its stated efficiency rating."

You can read the full letter that ACCA sent to the DOE here.

ACCA will continue to keep its members updated on the status of the DOE's rulemaking activities regarding energy-efficiency standards for furnaces and fight for common-sense regulations and legislation that leverages our members' expertise.

For more information about ACCA, please contact Melissa Broadus, ACCA director of member communications, at melissa.broadus@acca.org or (703) 824-8842.