Sen. George Lang wins Outstanding Legislator Award

By Greg Saul, Esq., CAE, OSCPA tax director 

The Ohio Society of CPAs was pleased to recognize State Senator George Lang, R-West Chester, with the OSCPA Outstanding Legislator Award on March 1.  The award presentation was hosted in Cincinnati by organizational member Seibel & Katz CPAs.   

Senator Lang is running for re-election to his second four-year term in the Ohio Senate, and represents the people of the 4th Senate District, which covers the majority of Butler County.  He currently serves as the Chair of the Small Business and Economic Opportunity Committee, and sits on the following Committees: Finance, Insurance (Vice Chair), and Government Oversight.  He also has been appointed to the Joint Committee on Property Tax Review and Reform, which began meeting in January.  

Sen. Lang has been a strong advocate for the profession, and a strong advocate for advancing Ohio’s business climate.  He has previously spoken to members about our legislative efforts at our Advocacy in Action virtual event, and has been instrumental on several OSCPA priorities. 

First, Sen. Lang was the primary sponsor of OSCPA supported Senate Bill 246 (134th GA), legislation enacted in Sept. 2022 to clarify that taxes paid by a pass-through entity do not count towards an owner’s $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction for federal income tax purposes.  As a result, this new law authorized a PTE owner to claim a refundable credit against the owner’s Ohio income tax liability equal to the owner’s proportionate share of the tax paid by the PTE. 

He was also the primary sponsor of OSCPA supported Senate Bill 247 (134th GA), legislation ultimately enacted as House Bill 515 in Sept. 2022.  This law clarified that gains from the sale of an ownership interest in a business is considered business income for Ohio income tax purposes (BID), provided the sale satisfies either of the following: 1) the sale is treated for federal income tax purposes as the sale of assets; or 2) the seller satisfied the material participation test.  The new law was enacted as a remedial measure clarifying existing law so it could be applied to current audits and amended returns.  

Finally, Sen. Lang has been supportive of recent efforts (1) consolidating Ohio’s income tax brackets and reducing the rates, (2) reforming our municipal income tax structure, and (3) increasing the Commercial Activity Tax (CAT) exemption amounts to $3 million (2024) and $6 million (2025) in gross receipts.  

OSCPA periodically awards legislators who are critical to our success on key OSCPA issues of concern, who regularly work closely with OSCPA to help move our profession’s priorities forward, and who merit special recognition for their significant efforts and involvement on behalf of the CPA profession and Ohio.  If you see Senator Lang, please be sure to thank him for his very positive impact on our state and on the Ohio CPA profession.