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Guess I need to start saving up my pennies for my "gun fund" again!
Gonzo
Lawmakers mull tax holiday for guns, ammo | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger
Lawmakers mull tax holiday
for guns, ammo
Michael Newsom • The Sun Herald • February 19,
2010
GULFPORT — Mississippi lawmakers are
considering a two-day sales tax exemption for guns
and ammunition in honor of "Second Amendment
Weekend" which would come just before fall hunting
seasons.
Some said fear over revenue loss might derail the
bill, which was filed by Rep. Warner McBride, D-
Courtland. It has 39 co-sponsors. The House Ways
and Means Committee hasn't taken up the bill.
House Bill 1207 would waive sales taxes on rifles,
shotguns, handguns and ammunition on Friday and
Saturday of Labor Day weekend.
The National Rifle Association and some hunting
groups support "Second Amendment Weekends"
which Louisiana and South Carolina have enacted.
Sporting goods stores in Louisiana reported a boost
during the tax holiday, according to the Baton
Rouge Advocate.
Rep. Dirk Dedeaux, D-Sellers, a co-sponsor of the
bill, said Mississippi might be able to attract out-of-
state shoppers on Second Amendment Weekend
because they could find big savings on gun and
ammo purchases just before several fall hunting
seasons open. Dedeaux hopes they also would buy
other hunting supplies that wouldn't be covered by
the sales tax exemption, which might create more
revenue.
"It's a significant savings for anybody that takes
advantage of it," Dedeaux said. "Our logic is M
ississippi has borders all around us and
hopefully, we would be a destination for people to
come and get stocked up."
Dedeaux said he would prefer it only apply to
ammunition, which he suspects would be the most
popular item, instead of guns sales. He and others
also said they might favor an amendment putting a
limit on the size of the purchase that would qualify
for the tax break.
In 2009, Mississippi joined more than a dozen
other states offering sales tax holidays, when it
exempted clothes and footwear priced under $100
for a weekend. Advocates at the time said
Mississippi was losing shoppers to neighboring
states that already had the sales tax holidays in
place for back-to-school shoppers.
Some tax research groups oppose sales tax
holidays, including the Tax Foundation, a
Washington-based organization that describes itself
as "a nonpartisan educational organization."
In a 2009 report, the Tax Foundation says claims
about such sales tax holidays boosting the
economy are often overblown.
"Politicians and other supporters routinely claim
that sales tax holidays improve sales for retailers,
create jobs and promote economic growth," the
report said. "Despite their political popularity, sales
tax holidays are based on poor tax policy and
distract policymakers and taxpayers from real,
permanent, and economically beneficial tax reform."
The Tax Foundation also said tax amnesty days are
"political gimmicks" that distract lawmakers from
tackling deeper tax issues.
"If a state must offer a holiday from its tax system, it
is a sign that the states tax system is uncompetitive,"
the report said. "If policymakers want to save money
for consumers, then they should cut the sales tax
rate year-round."
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Originally Posted by TheGreatGonzo
