Two JFAC members have come up with a plan to add tax auditors at the state Tax Commission in a carefully phased plan designed to collect $16.4 million more in already-owed taxes next year, and when they presented it at an early-morning workshop meeting of JFAC today, it drew rave reviews. Reps. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, and Darrell Bolz, R-Caldwell, the House Appropriations vice-chair, developed the plan working closely with the state Tax Commission.

It would continue the $1.5 million that Gov. Butch Otter put into auditors this year, plus add $560,000 to restore audits and collections to 2009 levels and $1.6 million for "Phase 2" of the Tax Commission's "compliance initiative," its four-year strategy to close Idaho's "tax gap." The gap is the amount of taxes that are due but not being paid.

When JFAC talked about the cumulative impacts of all budgets set this year during its early-morning workshop today, legislative budget director Cathy Holland-Smith said, "First of all, I want to thank Ray (Houston, budget analyst), and Rep. Bolz, and Rep. Jaquet for balancing the budget." Bolz said with a grin, "It's a way to get revenue, OK? If you can get a 5-1 or 7-1 or 8-1 return, why wouldn't you do it, OK?" Jaquet said, "We think that they'll be able to do it."