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John Chiang, State Board of Equalization member

  John Chiang was reelected in 2002, to his second term on the State Board of Equalization (BOE), California’s elected tax commission. He represents 8.46 million persons in the 4th Equalization District, which is comprised of most of Los Angeles County.

A native of New York, reared in Illinois, John began his career as a Tax Law Specialist with the Internal Revenue Service in Los Angeles. He later served as an attorney with the Office of the State Controller.

In his capacity as Board Member, John promotes public-private partnerships through community outreach and taxpayer education. John organized the first Board of Equalization, Franchise Tax Board, and Internal Revenue Service seminar for nonprofit organizations and joined with the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office to hold a tax seminar for religious organizations. He also organized business and labor forums on fighting tax evasion in the “underground economy.”

In addition, California law now contains John’s proposal to extend the deadline for property tax appeals. The new law, which took effect January 1, 2002, extends the deadline for property tax appeals to November 30, thus placing the deadline after the date taxpayers receive the property tax bill. The new deadline gives taxpayers the opportunity to use the bill as a basis for filing an assessment appeal.

In 2001, the following legislative proposals made by John, which became California law would: require the BOE to provide annual notices to taxpayers in the BOE special tax and fee programs who are on installment payment plans, analyzing installment payment provisions and payment history; and empower the BOE to offer equitable relief to innocent spouses in special tax and fee programs; and to make this relief available to Sales and Use tax program taxpayers, consistent with provisions of the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act. Additional John Chiang-sponsored legislative proposals, which became law in 2000, would allow refund claims to be filed beyond the normal period when a taxpayer, for medical reasons, is unable to manage his or her financial affairs; and give the Board of Equalization the authority to establish an electronic filing system for sales and use tax returns.

Throughout the years, John has been active in state and local community service. He currently serves as a Member of the Council of Regents of the American Lung Association of Los Angeles County and as a Board Member of the Ethnic Coalition. John previously served as a Member of the Advisory Council of Big Sisters of Los Angeles; a Board Member for the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation; and, a member of the Regional Interview Panel for the White House Fellowship Program.

Among John’s 2003 awards for community service are: the PACE-Setter Award; Asian/Pacific State Employees Association President’s Award; Chinese American Voters Education Committee Public Service Award; and the California Young Democrats’ Mentor of the Year. John was also recently selected to the American Council of Young Political Leaders

John is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a member of the Journal of Law and Technology. He is an honors graduate of the University of South Florida with a degree in Finance.