Taxing the imagination
The state of Maine is trying to increase their tax revenue with a tax on "snack food".
Nice simple bit of legislation -- not.
From the
Lewiston/Auburn Sun Journal:
Maine's food tax far too complex
Faced with mounting pressure from aggravated Mainers who had long blasted the state's snack tax as far too complex, confusing and unfair, the Legislature dumped the tax in 2000.
No longer would families have to pay more for lunch-box staples such as granola bars, crackers and pretzels, lawmakers promised. No longer would annoyed shoppers have to wonder why a blueberry muffin was taxed but an English muffin was not. No longer would businesses have to spend an inordinate amount of time and money making sure they could distinguish the long list of taxable foods from the long list of non-taxable foods.
Or that was the goal.
Fast forward to 2012.
Maine's snack tax is gone, but in its place is a tax on . . . snacks. Sometimes. And baked goods. Sometimes. And juice, poultry and ice cream. Sometimes.
Today, the purchase of five bakery doughnuts can be subject to sales tax; six are tax free. A small container of milk is tax free at the convenience store but taxed at a sandwich shop. Ham and cheese are tax free when bought at the deli counter, but a deli platter of ham and cheese at the same place is taxed.
Lots more at the site -- perfect example of the kind of legislation you get from a mastermind who is decoupled from the real world and has never worked a real job or bought groceries for their family.
Posted by DaveH at June 10, 2012 11:51 AM