The Deseret News reported today that two Utah Senators are pushing for a restoration of the4.70% (from the current 1.75%) sales tax on unprepared food.
Senate budget chairman Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, and Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, president of the Utah Taxpayers Association, in separate statements said it was a mistake when Utah legislators bowed to the “influence” of former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and cut the food tax.
This tax restoration would place undue burden on poor people. Why should there be a tax on something everyone must have?
One legislator doesn’t think that such a tax would impact poor people:
For more than a year, Rep. Kay McIff, R-Richfield, has been trying to get lawmakers to put the tax back on food and, through other means, give tax cuts to low-income Utahns.
McIff says the food tax cut really didn’t help low-income Utahns that much, but instead went to large Utah families or more well-to-do Utahns who buy a lot of food — people who likely really don’t need that kind of a tax cut.
From what source does McIff get his data? What does he mean “didn’t help low-income Utahns that much“? Where is the evidence to back such a statement?
I’m willing to bet that poor people spend most of their income on food while rich people spend a fraction of their income on food.
Taxing food is preposterous. Don’t hurt families this way.
Filed under: budget, Human rights
