Earlier this month, the Wisconsin Legislature passed legislation (Assembly Bill 245), which was subsequently signed by Gov. Tony Evers, to eliminate the state’s personal property tax. WISCA considered elimination of the personal property tax a top legislative priority, as the antiquated tax was an unnecessary financial and administrative burden for surgery centers across Wisconsin.

The personal property tax was initially implemented in the 1830’s, before Wisconsin was a state, to fund the territorial government. At the time, Wisconsin did not have an income or sales tax. Lawmakers have been chipping away at the personal property tax for decades, and the passage of AB 245 – a sweeping bipartisan bill that also provides an increase in state funding to local governments – finally completes the job in abolishing the tax.

Senator Dan Knodl (R-Germantown), who spearheaded efforts to eliminate the tax, said, “With this legislation signed into law, the personal property tax has been finally eliminated. I have been working towards this moment throughout my time in the legislature and it is such a relief knowing this tax will no longer burden our small business owners.”