Reasons to Manufacture in Vermont
Throughout the 2022 Legislative Session, the Vermont Chamber worked with members and members of the new Manufacturing Council and successfully lobbied to modernize Vermont’s tax law by expanding the manufacturing tax exemption to include machinery and equipment used as an integral or essential part of an integrated production operation.
Moving away from the direct use standard to an integrated plan makes tax exempt all the ancillary processes between raw materials and finished goods, as well as all manufacturing for packaging, testing, and quality assurance.
What does this mean for manufacturers?
- Clarifies and reduces the complexity of tax law to enable greater compliance with the Vermont Department of Taxes, reducing the cost and likelihood of audits.
- Provides savings to reinvest in workforce recruitment and retention, new equipment and machinery, and technology for cybersecurity compliance.
- Ensures Vermont’s manufacturers remain competitive with the thirty-three (33) other states that have similar tax exemptions in place.
- Listen to “State to Main” podcast on the Manufacturing Tax Exemption. Julia Birnn of Birnn Chocolates of Vermont and Chris discuss this win, and what it will ultimately mean for businesses like hers, on the State to Main podcast.
Securing this win for the manufacturing industry was possible due to the support of several Vermont Chamber Members. Along with Darn Tough, Maple Landmark, Vermont Precision Tools, and Twincraft Skincare, Julia Birnn Fields, Owner of Birnn Chocolates of Vermont was one of the business leaders who shared her story with legislators. Julia and Chris discussed this win, and what it will ultimately mean for businesses like hers, on the State to Main podcast.
Through direct testimony and the lobbying efforts of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the 6% aviation sales tax exemption was made permanent in 2018 for the maintenance of parts, equipment, and machinery of both commercial (carriage of persons) and private aircraft. This important tax exemption and economic development tool is growing an emerging Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) cluster in Vermont, which is part of the state’s combined $2 billion aerospace manufacturing and civil aviation industry, and attracting large, out-of-state and out-of-country aerospace OEMs and Primes seeking to lower their costs and gain a competitive advantage as the aviation industry recovers from the pandemic.
$10 Million Earmark for New Vermont Aviation Technical Center
The Vermont Chamber secured a $10 million U.S. Senator Leahy earmark for a new Vermont Aviation Technical Training Center, designating the Burlington Technical Center (BTC) as the recipient (2022). BTC will train the next generation of maintenance, repair, and overhaul technicians.
Montreal Office for Vermont
Through direct testimony and lobbying efforts, the Vermont ensured $300K in FY2022 State funding for a Montreal Office for VT (CIDEP) to recruit foreign direct investments and repealed the 10% U.S. tariff on Canadian aluminum in partnership with Canadian and Connecticut partners and the governors of VT, NH, and ME (2020).
