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Joshua Lott / Reuters
Candy bars are often subject to sales tax, although the cookielike nature of some bars can pose problems.
On this Halloween, as you prepare to satisfy your sweet tooth, get ready to shell out a few extra pennies for the tax man, at least in the 17 states that have special taxes on candy.
The Tax Foundation, a Washington-based think tank that supports "sound" tax policy, has chosen today to release a new report on the growing trend among states to raise taxes on candy and soda, at least partly in an effort to combat the nation’s rising obesity rate.
The foundation says 17 states that exempt groceries from sales taxes make an exception for candy, while 22 states plus the District of Columbia exempt soda. That means candy and soda are subject to taxes of 2.9 to 7.25 percent that are not levied on other foods and beverages.
Another four states have special excise taxes on soda and an additional 14 have been considering them in the legislature. Tax rates vary from 21 cents per gallon in Arkansas to 1.9 percent in Tennessee.
The Tax Foundation notes that singling out candy and soda for special treatment in the tax code can be complicated. Many states struggle to define candy, exempting cookie-like bars such as Kit-Kat and Twix, for example. Sports drinks and diet sodas are generally but not always treated as soda. Starbucks’ bottled Frappucino beverage is subject to soda excise taxes in two states and exempt in two others, the report says.
Some see these taxes as an easy source of new revenue and a way to modify behavior, but the Tax Foundation report concludes that “singling out soda and candy for taxation is a poor method of combating obesity.”
Such taxes unfairly burden those who enjoy soda and candy responsible and have “unintended consequences,” such as encouraging the overconsumption of food and beverages that are taxed at a lower rate, the foundation says.
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This tax is in no way going to offset the costs of medical care for the obese. The taxes will go into the general fund which pays for those wonderful "fact finding" trips politicians take to the south of France to learn how the starving people in africa are surviving. Or, like here in Colo, the politicians in the state capital of Denver travel to Aspen or Vail for conferences.
I say we tax anyone that wants to go into Politics an extra 50%. That is about what they get in benefits from us.
it's just another tax state and local governments can waste ! a candy and soda tax!! are you kidding me!!! when is the "air" tax coming????
This is getting outrageous. Who are these people to tell me what specific foods to be taxed or not? Either exempt all food or don't exempt any! This business about trying to fight obesity is a cover for higher taxes. Paying the government more money to eat candy or soda does nothing for the good of the people. No services are provided by this extra money (except maybe salaries of people in the Health Dept.). There is no way a sports drink is akin to soda. I can drink Gatorade all day long on a bicycle ride, but not soda. I'd be sick since soda dehydrates, but Gatorade is good for exercising. How about we tax larger TVs more because they contribute to people sitting more? Maybe then everyone will buy smaller TVs and go outside to play and we'll all be happy in our liberal utopia!
Eliminate from the food stamp program candy and soda. Reduce the program by a like amount. No taxes for those that can buy their own. Food stamp receipients spent 4 Billion on soda in one year.
In South Dakota we pay sales tax on all food. That doesn't seem to have much impact on the overweight people, many of whom are getting commodities or the other federal subsudity for food. Gas taxes are higher than gas used to cost, both federal and state taxes are accessed on gas and oil. It is time for governement to stop spending! There is so much waste in what all government agencies are spending ! A great way to recover some of the defiiet would be to stop benefits for retired presidents, congresspeople etc who don't pay a dime towards their federal retirement! Cut out all the spending by the President and his family for trips that are simply for pleasure or trying to get back into office! We don't need more Federal, State or local govenment taxes which will simply result in more expenses for us to pay to administer! Increase import taxes and maybe more jobs would be sourced in the USA. Stop farm and ranch subsudies and foreign imports of food that we can raise in the USA. Let the prices be based on competive markets and consumption. No more foreign oil and gas, we have plenty in the USA, if the government would have it over regulated!
There is one thing people seem to miss. "Sugary" snacks can be part of a healthy diet. Alcohol IS healthy is consumed moderately. There are NO benefits to smoking. Anything can cause obesity if you overconsume it. The government needs to stop trying to single out one line of products as the cause of obesity and start looking at everything in combination when digested.
Does the government even realize that all people are different and what makes one person obese can be perfectly fine for another person.
Does the government really care at all? Or do they just want more tax dollars?
Kevin Ogg,
I'll have to disagree with you; there are benefits to smoking, else it would have never come about. Now, you may say that the benefits are of little consequence, and are vastly outweighed by costs of smoking, but even those points are debatable when you consider moderation a factor.
The very beginning of the article said they raised the tax on candy & soda at least in part to combat obiesity.....ya....right.....or maybe it is just MORE GREED by the lousy politicians.
I say cut their wages by 30%.....every damn one of them.
i am a registered nurse, and hell yes they should put a 5 cents per candy bars, soda, and all sugary drinks. and they should put it on sugar per the pound and bags of candy and koolaide type drinks too. also cigarettes, and cigars should have a 5 cents each tax with tobacco in bags and cans 1 dollar. also a 5 cent per twelve ounces of beer and a 5 cent per ounce of liquor. these items are the 95 percent reason why medicare costs are so out of control. the people who dont use these causers of ill health should not have to foot the bill. and you make it a constitutional law that this tax base is for medical care only. screw you people. you will use them anyway, and there will be money, not from those who dont use them, to take care of you when you become ill. duh
Can we add to that an increase in taxes on living in California? Everything seems to cause cancer over there.
I bet Obama won't pay a damn dime for a candy bar....... Tax,Tax,Tax and Tax... If these CROOKED Politicians would pay down the national debt with all the BIG MONEY they raise this Country would be a better place to live... But that will be a COLD day in Hell huh DC??
how about if they are going to subsidize ANYTHING subsidize the fruits and veggies. I'd ALMOST be FOR the tax if that money were going to fruit and veggie growers to make those cheaper. Sadly, once the government got their hands on the money, it wouldn't go anywhere near where it was supposed to.
This is nothing but a tax rip off by the states, thinking they can hide this tax by saying it is for other reasons. Remember years ago when states were all over the tobacco industry, saying the law suits were to reduce their medical costs for smokers. Once the states got the money they squandered it on anything else, quickly wasting the money. It was all an in your face lie to the tax payers and everyone else. Truth is you cannot trust any bureaucrat with tax money. They will do what they do best, waste it. Give me a break!!!
This is nothing but a tax rip off by the states, thinking they can hide this tax by saying it is for other reasons. Remember years ago when states were all over the tobacco industry, saying the law suits were to reduce their medical costs for smokers. Once the states got the money they squandered it on anything else, quickly wasting the money. It was all an in your face lie to the tax payers and everyone else. Truth is you cannot trust any bureaucrat with tax money. They will do what they do best, waste it. Give me a break!!!
This is nothing but a tax rip off by the states, thinking they can hide this tax by saying it is for other reasons. Remember years ago when states were all over the tobacco industry, saying the law suits were to reduce their medical costs for smokers. Once the states got the money they squandered it on anything else, quickly wasting the money. It was all an in your face lie to the tax payers and everyone else. Truth is you cannot trust any bureaucrat with tax money. They will do what they do best, waste it. Give me a break!!!
This is nothing but a tax rip off by the states, thinking they can hide this tax by saying it is for other reasons. Remember years ago when states were all over the tobacco industry, saying the law suits were to reduce their medical costs for smokers. Once the states got the money they squandered it on anything else, quickly wasting the money. It was all an in your face lie to the tax payers and everyone else. Truth is you cannot trust any bureaucrat with tax money. They will do what they do best, waste it. Give me a break!!!
This is nothing but a tax rip off by the states, thinking they can hide this tax by saying it is for other reasons. Remember years ago when states were all over the tobacco industry, saying the law suits were to reduce their medical costs for smokers. Once the states got the money they squandered it on anything else, quickly wasting the money. It was all an in your face lie to the tax payers and everyone else. Truth is you cannot trust any bureaucrat with tax money. They will do what they do best, waste it. Give me a break!!!
This is nothing but a tax rip off by the states, thinking they can hide this tax by saying it is for other reasons. Remember years ago when states were all over the tobacco industry, saying the law suits were to reduce their medical costs for smokers. Once the states got the money they squandered it on anything else, quickly wasting the money. It was all an in your face lie to the tax payers and everyone else. Truth is you cannot trust any bureaucrat with tax money. They will do what they do best, waste it. Give me a break!!!
This is nothing but a tax rip off by the states, thinking they can hide this tax by saying it is for other reasons. Remember years ago when states were all over the tobacco industry, saying the law suits were to reduce their medical costs for smokers. Once the states got the money they squandered it on anything else, quickly wasting the money. It was all an in your face lie to the tax payers and everyone else. Truth is you cannot trust any bureaucrat with tax money. They will do what they do best, waste it. Give me a break!!!
This is nothing but a tax rip off by the states, thinking they can hide this tax by saying it is for other reasons. Remember years ago when states were all over the tobacco industry, saying the law suits were to reduce their medical costs for smokers. Once the states got the money they squandered it on anything else, quickly wasting the money. It was all an in your face lie to the tax payers and everyone else. Truth is you cannot trust any bureaucrat with tax money. They will do what they do best, waste it. Give me a break!!!
This is nothing but a tax rip off by the states, thinking they can hide this tax by saying it is for other reasons. Remember years ago when states were all over the tobacco industry, saying the law suits were to reduce their medical costs for smokers. Once the states got the money they squandered it on anything else, quickly wasting the money. It was all an in your face lie to the tax payers and everyone else. Truth is you cannot trust any bureaucrat with tax money. They will do what they do best, waste it. Give me a break!!!