WATCHBLOG: One Day Only! Buy Gun, No Tax!

By Melissa Daniels | PA Independen

HARRISBURG – Hate taxes? Love guns? If yes, then state Rep. Jeff Pyle, R-Armstrong has a bill for you.

Pyle recently circulated a co-sponsorship memo advocating for an annual one-day sales tax exclusion for firearms.

To Pyle, the exemption would be similar to the sales tax holiday that exists for ENERGY STAR appliances. He said if the state encourages residents to save energy – “a great goal,” Pyle said – it could similarly encourage those who want to defend their person and property.

While the idea would obviously encourage gun ownership, Pyle said he is also looking at the state of the industry: Gun manufacturers Remington, Colt and Beretta are located in New York, Connecticut and Maryland, which have passed or are considering passing laws to restrict sales of certain types of guns.

Pyle said his legislation could be a way for Pennsylvania to get their attention as a “Second Amendment-friendly” state.

“I’m throwing a flare into the air and telling them we’re open for business,” Pyle said.

Such tax holidays are in play in other states, including Louisiana. Lawmakers in Texas have recently considered the idea as well.

From Pyle’s memo:

In the near future, I will introduce legislation providing an annual one-day sales tax exclusion date on the retail purchase of a firearm by an individual. The exclusion date will be August 30 of each year.

To accommodate applicable laws regarding firearms purchases, the bill will allow an individual to qualify for the exclusion by paying the purchase price by cash or credit on the exclusion date, even if delivery takes place afterward.

In a separate but somewhat related proposal, state Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-Venango, introduced a bill this session that would provide sales tax exclusions for gun storage devices. In a co-sponsorship memo, Hutchinson said the move would incentivize safe and responsible storage of firearms.

Contact Melissa Daniels at melissa@paindependent.com