This week, the Ohio General Assembly approved sweeping legislation (House Bill 197) in response to the coronavirus outbreak. There were no votes against the bill. Gov. DeWine said he will sign the bill today, March 27. As amended, HB 197 provides many tax changes the OMA advocated for, including:

• Aligning the state tax filing deadline with the delayed federal deadline;
• Extending the dates for estimated payments;
• Waiving interest on tax filings; and
• Extending the “20-day rule” for municipal tax withholding for employees who are now working from home.

The bill also expands eligibility for unemployment compensation and extends the mail-in ballot period for the primary election. For a more complete overview, see the summary by OMA legal counsel Bricker and Eckler. Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) said approval of the COVID-19 package will likely be the final legislative action for the near future. 3/27/2020