Governor Whitmer Extends Tax Deadline for Businesses Having to Suspend Indoor Service

Governor Whitmer’s new tax extension is meant to help businesses that have been closed because of the recent shutdown.

But Traverse City Tourism says that this just a bandaid to a much bigger problem.

Traverse City Tourism CEO and President, Trevor Tkach, says, “It’s just a delay and as nice as that is it’s not going to solve the issues that a lot of these restaurateurs are going through right now. They need real help.”

The extension will allow 31 extra days for effected businesses to make their December sales, use and withholding tax monthly payment.

The new deadline will now be January 20th.

Trevor Tkach is also a board member for the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association.

He says the state needs to move forward with a stimulus package to keep bars and restaurants from closing permanently.

“They need stimulus to stay afloat to pay rent. They need dollars like the PPP funds we had before to keep employees employed rather than laying them off and putting them on unemployment,” says Tkach.

Since many restaurants are only offering takeout, the foot traffic in Traverse City has been slow.

Grand Traverse Distillery owner, Kent Rabish, says with less customers downtown, business aren’t making much this holiday season.

Rabish says, “I think for a lot of businesses December is your biggest month of the year. It’s when you get people and everybody’s shopping and you get that little cash reserve to help you get through January, March, April. That’s the hard part about it, you can’t make it up.”

He says because of already low sale, Governor Whitmer’s tax extension becomes obsolete.

“I don’t see it helping. It’s not helping us any. It’s a nice gesture but to be honest with you, with sales down so far there’s not very much to pay,” said Rabish.

The extension allows businesses until January 20 to file their December sales, use and withholding taxes.