Murfreesboro, TN - Dawn White, candidate in the Republican primary for the Tennessee House of Representatives in the new 37th District, announced today that she supports the full repeal and elimination of the Hall Income Tax in order to help improve Tennessee’s economy and create an environment that is more conducive to job creation.

“One thing we can do to improve our economy and create jobs in Tennessee is to re-examine our state’s tax code.  I am encouraged by the fact that our governor and legislature have recently adopted a plan to phase out and eliminate Tennessee’s death and gift taxes.  These taxes resulted in business owners and job creators leaving our state or never coming here in the first place.  The Hall Income Tax is another similar tax that needs to be abolished if we want to make Tennessee the best possible environment for new businesses to locate and for existing businesses to thrive,” she said.

“The fact that Tennessee doesn’t have a general state income tax is a huge benefit from an economic development perspective.  However, a lot of people are surprised to learn that Tennessee actually does have an individual income tax known as the Hall Income Tax, which taxes interest and dividend income from investments such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds.  The Hall Income Tax unfairly targets seniors, business owners and investors and, without a doubt, hampers our ability to compete with other states for jobs.  I am opposed to a state income tax in any form, and as state representative, will work to eliminate the Hall Income Tax so that Tennessee truly is income tax-free,” she said.

Dawn White owns a small business in Smyrna and is a former teacher in the Murfreesboro City School System.  A lifelong resident of Rutherford County, she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in education from MTSU.

White has been actively involved with numerous charitable and community organizations throughout Rutherford County.   She and her husband Chad live in Murfreesboro and are active members of LifePoint Church in Smyrna.

MURFREESBORO, TN - ¾ The Tennessee Department of Revenue and Middle Tennessee State University will co-sponsor the annual 2010 Tennessee Business Tax Seminar on Thursday, Oct. 7 from 8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel in Murfreesboro, located at 1850 Old Fort Parkway, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37129.

This seminar is designed to provide current, in-depth information on Tennessee tax issues. State tax specialists will discuss various taxes and present recent developments, including new legislation impacting various tax provisions. Please contact Melanie Nichols at MTSU to register and confirm the cost of participating and availability of credits by calling (615) 898-5306 or e-mailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For more information about this and other seminars, please visit http://www.TN.gov/revenue/ or call the Tennessee Department of Revenue at (615) 253-0600

Tennesseeans get a break from state and local sales taxes Aug. 6-8

Murfreesboro, TN – The 2010 Sales Tax Holiday begins this Friday, and provides three full days of tax breaks on clothing, school and art supplies, and computer purchases. Visit www.tntaxholiday.com or our new dedicated facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/TNTaxHoliday for detailed information on the holiday.

The holiday begins Friday, August 6 at 12:01 a.m. and ends Sunday, August 8 at 11:59 p.m. During the designated three-day weekend, consumers will not pay state or local sales tax on select clothing with a price of $100 or less per item, school and art supplies with a price of $100 or less per item, and computers with a price of $1,500 or less.

“Our Sales Tax Holiday not only helps families save on their back-to-school shopping but is a benefit for all Tennesseans, who are encouraged to take advantage of the timely savings," said Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr.

An audio news release recorded by Commissioner Farr about the holiday is available at the Sales Tax Holiday Web site, www.tntaxholiday.com.

Please visit www.tntaxholiday.com to learn more about the items exempt from sales tax. The Tennessee Department of Revenue also assists consumers via e-mail, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , and through its toll-free statewide telephone hot line, (800) 342-1003. Staff is available to answer questions Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. (Out-of-state and Nashville-area callers, please dial (615) 253-0600.)

Examples of exempt items include:

· Clothing: Shirts, dresses, pants, coats, gloves and mittens, hats and caps, hosiery, neckties, belts, sneakers, shoes, uniforms whether athletic or non-athletic and scarves

· School Supplies: Binders, book bags, calculators, tape, chalk, crayons, erasers, folders, glue, pens, pencils, lunch boxes, notebooks, paper, rulers and scissors

· Art Supplies: Clay and glazes; acrylic, tempera and oil paints; paintbrushes for artwork; sketch and drawing pads; and watercolors

· Computers: Central processing unit (CPU), along with various other components including monitor, keyboard, mouse, cables to connect components and preloaded software (Note: While the CPU may be purchased separately, other items must be part of a bundled computer package in order to be eligible.) iPad’s are eligible for tax exemption, video games and consoles are not.

The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws established by the legislature and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The Department of Revenue collects approximately 91 percent of total state tax revenue. During the 2009-2010 fiscal year, the department collected $10.1 billion in state taxes and fees. In addition to collecting state taxes, $1.9 billion of combined local sales tax, local mineral severance tax, and local business related taxes and fees was collected by the department for local governments during the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Besides collecting taxes, the department enforces the revenue laws fairly and impartially in an effort to encourage voluntary taxpayer compliance. The department also apportions revenue collections for distribution to the various state funds and local units of government. To learn more about the department, log on to www.TN.gov/revenue.