Emergency tax can be refunded

The return from winter break can be filled with an array of disappointments.

Marie… The return from winter break can be filled with an array of disappointments.

Marie McDonnell, like other student employees, learned this when she returned to work and found that $52 had been docked from her first January paycheck.

The procedure is familiar to many local employees and is known as the Emergency and Municipal Service Tax. The tax, which became effective on Jan. 1, 2005, is mandatory for everyone who is employed within the city of Pittsburgh.

But, there’s a way for student employees to get most of this money back. Employees with a total annual income of less than $12,000 are eligible for a refund of $42.

McDonnell, a Pitt senior, has worked in the stacks department at Hillman for the past three years. Even though she has filed for her refund every year, she said that process can be tedious and time consuming.

“I know a lot of people who aren’t going to get it back,” she said, adding that many students are deterred from the process because it is lengthy and not always properly explained.

Student employees seeking a refund must obtain an EM-1 refund form, available at www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/finance, and include a copy of a pay stub that shows the tax was taken out. They also need to include a copy of their W-2 form and a completed copy of their federal 1040 form.

Employees should have this tax year’s income taxes filed before requesting a refund.

Catherine Costanzo, a Pitt sophomore, said that she received an e-mail that clearly explained how to obtain a refund. She works at the periodical desk in Hillman and said she plans to do the paperwork for the refund when she has the time.

“I don’t think they made it easy to get,” she added, commenting on the confusing process. She is familiar with the tax since she had to pay a similar one when she worked in Philadelphia. She said that she feels like she understands the importance of the tax.

“I don’t necessarily have a problem with it being taken out,” she said.

The purpose behind the tax is to supplement funds for emergency services, road construction and maintenance and the reduction of property taxes. The tax is applicable regardless of the length of employment and was created to compensate for the privilege of working in the city for each calendar year.

The stipulations of the tax are that no employee should pay more than $52 in a calendar year. If a person is employed by two jobs in different municipalities, the tax should be applied to the higher paying job. For jobs that are started mid-year, the tax will be deducted from an employee’s first paycheck.

McDonnell described her hectic search for the appropriate forms and signatures she gathered in order to receive her refund. She said tax reductions for lower-wage employees would be more effective if they were accommodated for beforehand, instead of putting people through the refund process.

“Most people aren’t getting their $42 back,” she said.