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Aumua reminds House Panel to include American Samoa in Tax Reform

February 15, 2017

Washington, D.C. –Wednesday, At the House Small Business Committee hearing today, Aumua reminded her colleagues and witnesses that any reform of the tax code must take American Samoa and the other territories into consideration.

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2017.02.17 SBC Tax Code hearing

Congresswoman Amata questions the witnesses at Tuesday's House Small Business Committee hearing. Seated with her are Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (PR) and Dave Brat (VA)
See video below

"I want to thank all of the witnesses at today's hearing for their testimony, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the committee to ensure that our small businesses in American Samoa can grow and prosper. When we reform the tax code, we must remember the unique situation that American Samoa is in, and allow for certain provisions in the new tax code to reflect this; so that all of the territories can prosper and grow," stated Amata.

Specifically, today's hearing was held to examine how costly and unwieldly the IRC is for small businesses. The Committee heard from tax policy experts and a small business owner on how the IRC has affected them. The general consensus was that the IRC needed to be simplified.

"This is not just a State issue; the tax code also effects the territories as well. Even though American Samoa has some freedom with our taxation, decisions made in Washington D.C. affect how businesses and entrepreneurs in American Samoa operate. I've submitted additional questions to our witnesses so that whatever reform is made with the tax code, positively affects the small businesses in American Samoa," concluded the Congresswoman.

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