Guns: If You Can’t Ban Them, Tax Them
BY Herschel Smith
11 years, 3 months ago
A pair of Democratic lawmakers are proposing steep new taxes on handguns and ammunition, and tying the revenues to programs aimed at preventing gun violence.
Called the “Gun Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act,” the bill sponsored by William Pascrell, D-N.J., and Danny Davis, D-Ill., would nearly double the current 11 percent tax on handguns, while raising the levy on bullets and cartridges from 11 percent to 50 percent.
“This bill represents a major investment in the protection of our children and our communities, and reflects the long-term societal costs of gun and ammunition purchases in our country,” Pascrell said.
The lawmakers say the bill would generate $600 million per year, which would be used to fund law-enforcement and gun violence prevention.
Critics predicted defeat for the measure.
“What the anti-gun interests can’t ban, they want to tax it out of existence,” Alan Gottlieb, chairman for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, told FoxNews.com. “It’s nothing more than confiscatory taxation.
“I doubt this bill will pass, but we will lobby against it if need be,” he added. “This is simply another shot against gun owners in this country.”
The bill would exempt all federal, state and local agencies, including police departments, from paying the tax.
The bill would also increase the transfer tax on all weapons (except antique guns) covered under the National Firearms Act (which excludes most common guns) from $200 to $500 and index to inflation and increase the transfer tax for any other weapon from $5 to $100.
I don’t care much about the increase in fee for the tax stamp, since I will never, ever register a firearm with the ATF or pay a tax stamp. But the philosophy is that if we cannot beat them at an outright ban, then we can tax them to the point that they cannot afford to own weapons or ammunition.
This approach is both irrational and unconstitutional, not to mention immoral. But something must source the massive expansion of the federal Leviathan, and the Congress has figured out that we will not give up our guns or our shooting. Feed the beast, even if it makes use of what they loath so much – our freedoms. It sure must seem a Faustian bargain to them.
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On August 27, 2013 at 11:41 pm, Justin said:
Maybe we should tax silverware for making people fat.
Extra for the plastic sets, ‘cuz they can be used on picnics with junk food, and are often used to eat fattening birthday cakes.
Don’t get me started on those evil straws…
On August 28, 2013 at 11:18 am, Gunowner said:
“I don’t care much about the increase in fee for the tax stamp, since I will never, ever register a firearm with the ATF or pay a tax stamp.”
So you’d be ok with throwing those of us that are interested in NFA firearms under the bus because they don’t interest you? This is exactly the same mentality the hunters have when somebody suggests banning “assault weapons”. Well since I’m not interested in them then I don’t care if they regulate/tax/ban/etc. them. We need to stick together in this. Once they succeed in outlawing or taxing into oblivion one type of firearm then they’ll start on the next type on their list.
On August 28, 2013 at 11:27 am, Herschel Smith said:
Gunowner,
I’m not in favor of any tax of any firearm at all, ever, under any circumstances. Furthermore, I believe that all federal laws and regulations of guns are unconstitutional. I’m not throwing anyone under the bus, and I would speak out against any increase in taxes for any reason, not just firearms. So I urge my Congressmen to vote against such an obscenity.
That said, I will not myself feed the Leviathan. I will not register a SBR, for example, with the ATF, so that in the future they know I have one in order to confiscate it. So this would have little effect on me.
The solution isn’t to keep taxes lower. If that’s our strategy, we’ve already lost. The solution is no regulation of SBRs, silencers, etc., whatsoever.
On August 28, 2013 at 7:41 pm, scott s. said:
On a practical basis I can’t see raising the tax on firearm and AOW transfers as having any effect on them.
On August 29, 2013 at 6:37 am, DAN III said:
Right now the BATF is denying/delaying Class III dealers access to Class III items. It is taking Class III dealers 3-5 months to get products delivered them because of BATF delays in processing their paperwork. THEN….when a consumer purchases a Class III item from the dealer it is taking nearly 10-12 months before FEDGOV “approval” arrives to “transfer” said Class III purchase.
Where the hell is the NRA on this ?
Where the hell is GOA on this ?
Where are state gun organizations on this ?
Just for once I’d like to see the NRA send out flyers and use their massive ability to communicate via their magazines and electronic assets to organize a MASS march on DC….right up to the Capitol Building.
But alas, the best I get from my NRA lifer membership is a call to buy NRA labeled wine and NRA life insurance.