EAST LANSING, Mich. – The City of East Lansing has hired a new, full-time income tax administrator to help ensure that the new, voter-approved East Lansing income tax is administered accurately and to serve as a point of contact for employers, residents and employees with questions about the new tax.
East Lansing Income Tax Administrator DaMar Boyd began his new role with the City of East Lansing on November 19, 2018. His educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in business marketing and management and a master’s degree in public administration from Grand Valley State University. Prior to his new role with the City of East Lansing, Boyd worked for the past six years for the City of Grand Rapids, most recently as an administrative analyst in the City’s Income Tax Department.
With the East Lansing income tax slated to go into effect on January 1, 2019, East Lansing employers need to make sure that they complete and submit the City’s EL-SS-4 Employer’s Withholding Registration form and any other applicable forms prior to the end of 2018. Employers will also need to collect EL-W-4 forms from their employees. These forms can be found on the City of East Lansing’s income tax webpage, www.cityofeastlansing.com/incometax. All East Lansing employers are required to withhold and remit the income tax on behalf of their employees. East Lansing residents working in other communities should speak with their respective employer to see if they will voluntarily withhold and remit the tax on their behalf. In the event that an employer in an outside community will not withhold on behalf of their employee, residents will be responsible for making quarterly payments to the City of East Lansing using form EL-1040ES. This form will be available prior to the end of 2018 at www.cityofeastlansing.com/incometax. Residents can learn more here: https://www.cityofeastlansing.com/Faq.aspx?QID=414.
Boyd will be working in tandem with a third party administrator, Innovative Software Solutions, Inc. (ISSI), to administer this new tax for the City of East Lansing. ISSI will be responsible for the processing of individual returns. Individuals will need to file their first income tax returns, similar to their state and federal returns, in 2020.
Employers or community members can contact Boyd at (517) 319-6862 or incometax@cityofeastlansing.com with any questions about the new tax and/or to set up a meeting time. Boyd’s office is located at East Lansing City Hall, 410 Abbot Road, and his hours are Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
“I’m here as a resource for the East Lansing community and welcome employers and community members to reach out to me with any questions,” said Boyd. “We appreciate everyone’s work to implement this new tax and are committed to making this as smooth of a process as possible.”