Louisiana to contract with Ernst & Young to review Jindal's tax plan
by Jeff Adelson - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Louisiana's Department of Revenue will bring on accounting giant Ernst & Young as a consultant as it crafts a plan that would swap the state's income and corporate taxes in favor of a higher sales tax that could be levied on more purchases, department officials said. The firm, which could charge the state up to $180,000 for its services, is intended to provide "guidance, support, analysis and clarity" to the tax initiative, according to a solicitation the department sent to top consulting firms. Tim Barfield, the department's executive counsel and Gov. Bobby Jindal's point man on the tax proposal, has said the administration would be contracting with a firm as it developed the plan. No public bid was held on the contract, though the department reached out to several firms to ask for proposals, department spokesman Doug Baker said.