The USA will celebrate its 250th birthday this July. We in NJ also have another milestone to celebrate in July, one that is uniquely ours. New Jersey enacted its first broad-based personal income tax, the Gross Income Tax Act, in 1976. Passed under Governor Brendan Byrne to fund public schools and provide property tax relief, it established a 2% to 2.5% rate on income, effective for income earned on or after July 1, 1976. Who will bring the party hats and ice cream?