Ohio House passes tax conformity legislation

The Ohio Society of CPAs on Feb. 5 testified as a proponent to the House Ways & Means Committee on House Bill 14, the annual federal/state tax conformity legislation. Later that afternoon, the Ohio House unanimously passed the legislation by a 93-0 vote.  

H.B. 14 is sponsored by Rep. Bill Roemer, CPA (R-Richfield), and Rep. Heidi Workman (R-Rootstown) and will incorporate into Ohio law the federal tax changes to the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) which became law between March 15, 2023 (S.B. 10, 135th GA) and H.B. 14’s eventual effective date.   

A companion bill, Senate Bill 9, sponsored by Senator Bill Blessing (R-Colerain Township) is also pending in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.   

If enacted, H.B. 14 will incorporate federal tax provisions that were enacted as part of the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023 (signed on Dec. 12, 2024) impacting payments received for losses suffered from wildfires and disaster relief payments from the East Palestine derailment. 

The Ohio Society also strongly supports the emergency clause in H.B. 14 given that the normal 90-day effective date for legislation would already occur after the current tax deadline of April 15.  

The OSCPA has traditionally supported legislation incorporating federal tax law changes into the Ohio Revised Code to bring conformity to most federal and state tax calculations, thus preventing taxpayers from having to make “add-backs” on their 2024 income tax returns.  

House Bill 14 now heads to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.