Whistleblower calls on Otter to launch investigation

State tax auditor Stan Howland, whose 17-page whistleblower report charging that the state Tax Commission has cut secret deals with large multistate corporations to excuse them from millions in state taxes, sent a letter to Gov. Butch Otter today calling on him to initiate a thorough investigation of the Tax Commission including examination of the resolution of all multistate audits for the past several years, and all internal procedures of the Tax Commission. Earlier, at Otter’s request, state tax commissioners had issued a formal response to Howland’s report. In that response, the tax commissioners defended the practices, denied any wrongdoing, and said the secrecy of the deals is appropriate. Below is Howland’s letter; here’s a link to the point-by-point response Howland has provided to the Tax Commission’s defense of its practices.