Tennessee Legislator Plans To Propose A Permanent End To Grocery Tax
Image Credit: tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
October 31 marked the end of Tennessee’s grocery tax holiday, but one Tennessee lawmaker wants to do away with the state’s grocery tax altogether.
Representative Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville-District 51) is working on proposed legislation that would eliminate the grocery tax complete, instead replacing that revenue with additional taxes on businesses. Behn says state Democrats have pushed to abolish the grocery tax every year.
“I’m calling on corporations to pay their fair share of taxes in order to abolish the grocery tax,” Behn stated. “I would challenge the Republicans across the aisle to join me in fighting to abolish it because it hurts their working-class families as well.”
According to Governor Lee’s office, however, Tennessee already has the second lowest tax burden in the country. Although it is one of 13 states with a grocery tax, Tennessee does not have a state income tax.
The grocery tax holiday was a portion of the state’s Tennessee Tax Works Act, the largest tax cut ever seen in Tennessee history.
“The Lee administration will continue to consider every opportunity to keep money in Tennesseans’ pockets,” said Governor Lee’s office.
State Representative Patsy Hazlewood (R-Signal Mountain-District 27) released a statement saying:
”Keeping taxes low is a priority for House Republicans every budget year, and suspension of the grocery tax is a way for all Tennesseans to benefit from our state’s economic success. We passed a one-month waiver in 2022; this year we were able to extend that to a full quarter based on higher than projected revenues. The waiver was part of the single largest tax cut ever in state history; eliminating the grocery tax alone reduced state revenues by $273 million. Inflation is hurting a lot of Tennesseans this year, and unfortunately, because of that, we’re seeing lower-than-expected projections for state revenue next year. We will continue cutting taxes wherever we can as long as we’re not impairing Tennessee’s ability to provide the services at the efficiency our citizens expect and rely on.”
Some residents have stated that they would at least like to see the tax cut remain for groceries and other necessities.
Behn’s proposal is expected to be released later this month.
Typical Democrat “pay their fair share” bull….. . Businesses pay taxes according to what the Legislature has enacted into law, and then businesses include their tax burden as a cost of doing business and factor that into the price of the goods/services. If the legislature passes higher taxes for businesses, their prices will go up.
“The waiver was part of the single largest tax cut ever in state history”
I don’t guess Patsy wants to talk about the other part of the tax cut to the corporate welfare recipients. $150M per year- permanent. Maybe shouldn’t have already repealed that Hall Income tax?
The TNGOP: businesses first – well just the ones we executive order to be “essential”.
The Hall income tax was an outrageous exaction on savers regardless of their income level and should never have been imposed in the first place.
Repealing the Sales Tax on groceries is a good idea. Clearly Gov. Lee has too much money to spend – he’s given $1 billion for various sports stadiums, including $500 million to the Titans. I’m a conservative and in favor of low taxes and oppose wasting money.
No repeal of any tax until we are sure that we have enough prisons in this state to house all the criminals that violate the law. Tax as much as necessary until Tennessee has the reputation as the one state where “you do the crime, you do the time.”
If we had effective punishments restored we’d not need all the prisons that are sucking us dry.
End any tax that suits you so long as that loss of revenue is offset 100% by spending cuts. If you really want to benefit people, set up a sliding scale for property taxes and eliminate the wheel tax. The elderly are being milked to the udder end.
I thought a Democrat had a good idea for once then I read the tax would be levied on Business which in turn would drive prices up more! Democrats never come up with NOTHING to help the American people just to screw them over and they are still voted in over and over??? I guess those voters like getting screwed an like it?
Been is pandering to the senseless liberals would can’t see that taxing a business more becomes price increases when the tax increase is passed along to consumers.