Advocacy News – Sept. 16, 2025
What happened: The House Finance Committee held its first of two hearings on HB 4799, the “Postmark Bill,” which would amend the General Property Tax Act to better protect taxpayers from unfair fines and penalties.
Why it matters: Right now, property tax payments are considered late unless physically received by the due date — unlike all other Michigan taxes, which follow the Mailbox Rule (the postmark determines timeliness). This inconsistency leaves businesses and taxpayers vulnerable to penalties for factors beyond their control, including:
- USPS delays
- Part-time local government offices or reliance on P.O. boxes
- Local staffing shortages that slow processing
The bottom line: Taxpayers acting in good faith shouldn’t be penalized for mailing payments on time. A consistent, fair policy across all taxes is overdue.
What we’re doing: The Michigan Chamber is leading the charge for this commonsense reform. We testified in support of HB 4799 and will continue pressing lawmakers to advance this fix for this antiquated tax structure in the weeks ahead.
For questions or more information, contact Randy Gross, senior director of legislative affairs and associate general counsel.