“That’s a tax hike and that’s not what we are going to be working on this session.”

So said House Ways and Means chairman Harvey Hilderbran (R-Kerrville) when asked about eliminating sales tax exemptions.

Hilderbran has previously opined that his committee is not interested in broadening the sales tax base. That’s good news for CPAs concerned about sales taxes on professional services. Last session’s Ways and Means chairman, Rene Oliveira (D-Brownsville), reportedly had identified $1.5 billion in sales tax exemptions “ripe for elimination.”  The more conservative Hilderbran says he sees the opportunity to raise as much as $500 million by tinkering with better enforcement and closing a few loopholes.  Read more about Hilderbran’s ideas in “Key lawmaker tightens tax grip.”