Question 3 would hurt business

By Brian Lesser, Minden

Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014 | 2 a.m.

I am a small-business owner. My family has lived in multiple states and decided in 2013 that we needed to look for a new home for a business. I spent weeks doing research. It came down to Nevada, Washington and Wyoming — all states that have 0 percent corporate tax and 0 percent income tax. We like living in the West and decided to move here after visiting Carson Valley near Tahoe.

Since moving here in early 2014, we have hired over 40 local workers. We feel we have made a positive impact on the community and hope to continue to grow and be successful in this state. We have donated technology equipment to local schools and nonprofits.

Our business is very much opposed to Question 3, the margin tax. If passed, we will quickly consider moving our expanding tech business out of state.

The fair tax situation here in Nevada propelled us to give your state a shot. Please do not force us, and many others who have taken the time/energy/expense to move their companies here, to find a new home. I don’t need to get into the politics of Question 3, only to say it is a substantial tax on businesses and will cost Nevadans many jobs and future opportunities. The biggest flaw is any new tax based solely on revenue. Many businesses produce high revenue, operate on very thin margins and make up for that difference in sales volume. So taxing a business on revenue could easily translate to a loss for a company, and we are not in business to take a loss. We will close our doors and move if that occurs.

Please vote for our collective future. Vote no on Question 3.