LANSING, Mich., May 9, 2023 — State Rep. Angela Witwer (Delta Township) held a town hall with Attorney General Dana Nessel and State Director Paula Cunningham from AARP yesterday in Lansing. The town hall provided a forum to explain the benefits of the repeal of the retirement tax to constituents, answer their questions and deliver information to protect seniors from potential scams.
“I have introduced legislation every term I have served to repeal the retirement tax, and it is so rewarding to have seen it signed into law,” Witwer said. “After working so hard on this legislation for so many years, it felt great to help the residents of my district better understand how this tax cut will benefit them.”
The repeal of the retirement tax will save half a million households an average of $1,000 a year. The repeal will benefit both those with public pensions and those with private pensions.
“My department is grateful for the opportunity to arm Michigan seniors with the information they need to outsmart bad actors and avoid getting scammed,” Nessel said. “If you believe you’ve fallen victim to a scam, please report it to the Department of Attorney General by calling (877)765-8388 or going online to mi.gov/agcomplaints.”
Before 2011, Michigan was one of 14 states that did not tax retirees on their pensions. The retirement tax made Michigan’s tax system much less fair in the eyes of many observers by increasing income taxes paid by individuals, particularly lower- and middle-income residents and retirees, while dramatically reducing overall taxes paid by corporations.