Jackson Township merchants will see some relief this year after the township waived the collection of its $800 annual business privilege tax.

The tax, implemented in 2019, is imposed on all businesses with a gross revenue of $150,000 or more. Jackson waived the tax in 2020 in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and state-mandated shutdowns.

“As we climb out of the pandemic, the board wanted to afford some relief to businesses for another year, understanding that the impact from 2020 has certainly carried over into the current year,” township manager Chris Rearick said.

When preparing the budget for 2021, Rearick added, the township had assumed waiving the tax, although the board only recently adopted the official resolution.

The tax was introduced as a way to help fund the township's capital reserve fund and capital improvements planning. In 2019, Jackson projected $91,000 in receipts from the tax. If collected this year, Rearick said, the township would likely have seen about $100,000 in revenue.

Sherry Cepek, owner of The Enchanted Olive, was outspoken about the tax when it was first collected. She said she was appreciative that the tax was waived in 2020, and thinks it is positive for the businesses for it to be waived again.

“I think that's just great news for everybody, all the businesses,” she said. “We need every bit of help we can get. I'm very thankful that they waived it again.”