Tax bill deadline looms at Legislature

Gov. Mark Dayton had set this Wednesday as the deadline for the DFL-controlled Legislature to come up with a tax bill, but the governor concedes his deadline is more of a target.

"This is typical at this point in the session, everybody is kind of holding their cards close to the vest and negotiating around tactics as well as content," he said. "We'll see. I'm optimistic we'll get a bill in a very timely fashion. It may be a couple of days after the [March] 19 deadline."

Still, Revenue Commissioner Myron Frans says his department needs tax bill information as soon as possible to accommodate this year's filers because some of the cuts will likely be retroactive.

"We have about 44 percent of the taxpayers have filed as of today and so every day does matter because if we can get it processed and out there then we can let people know how to make those changes," he said.

The House passed a tax bill earlier this month before the new budget forecast came out, projecting $1.2 billion surplus. When the Senate arrives at a tax bill, the House can either go along with the Senate version or the two bodies can work out a deal in a conference committee.

Dayton wants more than $600 million in tax cuts. Late last week Democrats in the House laid out a $550 million tax-cut proposal.