Rhode Island, March 10, 2016
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A Rhode Island state representative has pulled his name from legislation that would put a 10-year statute of limitations on the collection of state taxes after acknowledging that he may owe the state more than $120,000 in back taxes.
Rep. Thomas Palangio, a Providence Democrat who has represented District 3 since 2013, told Target 12 he co-sponsored the legislation because he was told it was a “good pro-business bill,” but acknowledged he didn’t read the two-page proposal “as carefully as I should have.”
“It has been brought to my attention that this bill could be perceived to benefit me and a tax situation that I am currently working to address,” Palangio said. “Today, I asked for my name to be withdrawn as a sponsor of the legislation.”
The legislation, which requires state tax officials to commence civil actions on delinquent taxpayers within 10 years of the tax first becoming due, is sponsored by House Majority Leader John DeSimone, D-Providence.
Palangio owes the state $127,000, according to a list of the state’s top 100 income tax delinquents published by the R.I. Division of Taxation. He said he has been working with his accountant for several months to address the debt.
In other words, Thursday in Rhode Island.