I have heard so much about a possible commuter tax on people who live in the suburbs and work in the city of Pittsburgh. Exactly what is the definition of a "commuter"⢠In its simplest form, people who drive into the city from the suburbs, park in the city and walk to their place of employment are commuters.
But what about someone who drives into the city two days a week for meetings and works out of their homes the other three⢠Their employer is in the city, but do they only pay two-fifths of "commuter" wage tax?
What about someone who works for an employer in the city and doesn't drive into the city at all⢠Are they exempt from a "commuter" wage tax even though they benefit from their city employer who benefits from city services?
What about a consultant who is hired by a city employer to perform work but in fact lives in Cleveland⢠They benefit from city services too, should they pay something?
Will most people try now to figure out ways around the commuter tax by becoming consultants for their employers or, better yet, try to work as much from home as possible⢠With the information technology available today, it is very worthwhile for employees to look into these issues.
Bob Boyd
Ben Avon
