(AL) Legislation would create sales tax holiday for guns, ammo

[The Straight Story]

An Alabama lawmaker has introduced legislation that would create an annual sales tax holiday for guns, ammunition and firearms supplies.

The state already has sales tax holidays for back-to-school and severe weather preparedness supplies.

Rep. Becky Nordgren, R-Gadsden, filed a bill that would waive sales and use tax on guns and ammunition the weekend prior to Independence Day every year.

“Holding a firearms sales tax holiday at the anniversary of our nation’s birth is the perfect way to celebrate the rights and independence that we hold close to our hearts as Americans,” Nordgren said.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20140303/NEWS/303030030/Legislation-would-create-sales-tax-holiday-guns-ammo

This would play well with hobbyists, hunters, and sports shooters. A lot of shooting clubs there including 4H, Scholastic Clay Target Program, private clubs, and ranges. Ninety-nine percent of gun owners use their guns in such ways, many are made in America and support American jobs and stores.

[rgbecker]

1. They should have it on Jefferson Davis' birthday to sort of tie it all together.

[gejohnston]

6. how so?

http://www.amazon.com/Negroes-Gun-Black-Tradition-Arms-ebook/dp/B00E2RWQHM

[Eleanors38]

8. Why? The Jim Crow laws of the South are gone...

These laws were specifically designed to keep blacks from keeping and bearing arms... what Jefferson Davis wanted.

[House of Roberts]

2. They can make it up by increasing the tax on liquor and tobacco.

Those are indulgences the church frowns upon, since they only kill you slowly.

[clffrdjk]

3. I don't really see this doing anything good.

All I see happening is the concentration of sales to that tax holiday. That concentration will produce a shortage which will increase the prices. If the individual stores want to have a sale more power to them but a tax holiday will just create problems for the rest of the summer.

[The Straight Story]

4. On the other hand

It could spur sales for people who have wanted to get into shooting and create new customers. Here in Ohio we have a free fishing day (no license required) to attempt to get more people fishing which drives up sales of new licenses and the like which raises money for conservation as well as the government.

[clffrdjk]

5. Licenses are not a limited commodity.

The last year and a half has shown just how slow the firearms industry is to react to a change in demand. Concentrating multiple months of demand into a few days or a week will only lead to empty shelves. And that will have a larger negative impact on new shooters than the positive from a tax holiday.

[Travis_0004]

9. That depends.

You are assuming that stores would not prepare for the additional sales. In a market where ammo is tough to get, its in short supply with or without a sales tax holiday. But once supply catches up, a tax holiday in one state shouldn't cause problems. Stores will have extra guns and ammo on hand, and if they do run out, they will resupply in a few days (assuming supply returns to normal).

What you are seeing now is the effect of 50 states trying to buy up all the ammo they can, and that is enough to cause a shortage. One state buying a few extra rounds will not cause anything close to the same effect. (and remember, its already possible to buy ammo tax free, just buy it one the internet).

[SQUEE]

7. Sounds like a good time to visit the CMP in Anniston,

been wanting to add another Garand to the WWII collection, look very nice next to my new Finnish capture SVT-40

[oneshooter]

10. I'm looking at a Berreta built Garand.