Sales Tax VS State Income Tax (Seattle, Olympia: for sale, homes, to buy)

[cmswazey]

There are things that are taxes that possibly shouldn't be. Certain hygiene products...

[hurricane harry]

Originally Posted by 509

Correct.

Ready made food...is fast food. It is taxed.

Shampoo, toothpaste and soap are NOT food. They are taxed.

Cranberry juice is interesting. It really is the equivalent of Soda....however, check that one. It is a gray area.

In all the cases above the legislature made the decision to put sales taxes on prepared food, etc. They were Democrats. But if you pay...fresh food. It is not taxed. Why are you eating crap anyway?

Ready made food, soup, sushi, vegetable's at PCC, Whole Foods is crap? Check.
I suppose people could by the ingredients and cook them under a bridge without paying sales tax.

[509]

I was trying to remember when they extended the sales tax to prepared food. It was that long ago.

Then there is sales tax on gasoline, which I believe means your paying sales tax on a tax (gas).h

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by hurricane harry

We don't?
You should pay more attention to your grocery bill, you might be surprised at some of the foods at other essential items that are taxed.
I'll give you a couple of examples just because your a big defender of this city.
Cranberry juice.
Shampoo.
Toothpaste.
Soap.
Any ready made foods in the grocery.

I'm a defender of rational and plausible arguments, and verifiable facts. Note that I was responding to a categorical claim that we don't tax food and drugs.

Yes, "we", through the state sales tax, do not generally tax groceries or prescription drugs, although there are exceptions, foods prepared to eat being one of them.

Another one is: when more than 75% of an establishment's total food sales are of prepared food, then the sales tax is applied to all of its food sales, including cranberry juice (or cocktail). In other words, you might try shopping somewhere else for groceries than 7-11.

Municipalities might selectively choose to tax food items, such as the "sugary drink" tax proposed by the mayor, which would apply to fruit drinks, but not 100% fruit juice. I'm not aware of any cities or towns in this state doing that, yet, however.

I'm not opposed to exempting daily necessities (toilet paper, toothpaste, tampons, hand soap, etc.) from the sales tax, but under state law that is not the case now. I would want to replace those lost revenues from somewhere else, however, rather than cut essential services even more deeply. What about you?

[Botev1912]

Seriously, ridiculous laws that only benefit the government.

[hurricane harry]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

I'm a defender of rational and plausible arguments, and verifiable facts. Note that I was responding to a categorical claim that we don't tax food and drugs.

Yes, "we", through the state sales tax, do not generally tax groceries or prescription drugs, although there are exceptions, foods prepared to eat being one of them.

Another one is: when more than 75% of an establishment's total food sales are of prepared food, then the sales tax is applied to all of its food sales, including cranberry juice (or cocktail). In other words, you might try shopping somewhere else for groceries than 7-11.

Municipalities might selectively choose to tax food items, such as the "sugary drink" tax proposed by the mayor, which would apply to fruit drinks, but not 100% fruit juice. I'm not aware of any cities or towns in this state doing that, yet, however.

I'm not opposed to exempting daily necessities (toilet paper, toothpaste, tampons, hand soap, etc.) from the sales tax, but under state law that is not the case now. I would want to replace those lost revenues from somewhere else, however, rather than cut essential services even more deeply. What about you?

Please, I buy my groceries at Freddie's and cranberry juice is taxed.
Essential services are typically taxed through property tax, fire/police.

[pnwguy2]

The real problem here is if the State eventually brings on an income tax, do you think they will also lower the sales tax? The answer, IMO, is absolutely not. So the overall result is a huge increase in taxes. I will not vote for this if it ever comes to that. Washington needs to be able to offer basic services, but it doesn't need to follow California, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to accomplish that.

Some of the best economies in the country have no state income tax. Texas, Florida, and Washington State.

[cmswazey]

Right. There's no way that they'd lower the sales tax if they intro'd a state income tax. No way. There are limitations re the pot money buy it will benefit WA.

Yet politicians want all 3.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by hurricane harry

Please, I buy my groceries at Freddie's and cranberry juice is taxed.
Essential services are typically taxed through property tax, fire/police.

Sales of food and food ingredients are exempt from retail sales tax. However, prepared foods, dietary supplements, and soft drinks are taxable.

"Soft drinks" means nonalcoholic beverages that contain natural or artificial sweeteners. Soft drinks do not include beverages that contain: Milk or milk products; soy, rice, or similar milk substitutes; or greater than fifty percent of vegetable or fruit juice by volume.

I hadn't realized the state was now taxing "fruit juice" cocktail (less than 50% fruit juice by volume), which is sweetened by adding high-fructose corn syrup (lacking nutritional value). I always buy "100% juice", which is not taxed, since it is sweetened only by adding naturally sweetened fruit juices.

Simple question: If you want to eliminate sales tax on daily necessities, would you add or increase other taxes to pay for it, or cut spending elsewhere? If the first, I'm for it; if the second, I'm against it. Note that only 12% of the state budget is paid for through property taxes, compared to about 50% by sales taxes.

[Beernik]

Here's the problem: Washington's sales tax isn't that much higher than other state's sales taxes. What you'll get is roughly a 2% drop in sales tax in exchange for a +5% income tax and everyone ends up paying more money.