Plan to suspend sales tax on guns bought during the first weekend of October is part of a national trend.
CHARLESTON — West Virginia would suspend sales taxes on gun purchases during the first weekend of October under legislation that unanimously passed the state House of Delegates Feb. 26.
The Second Amendment Appreciation Act would mandate that the first weekend of every October become a sales tax holiday for gun purchases. The lead sponsor, Delegate Scott Varner, D-Marshall, said the holiday could actually bring in increased tax revenues, given that bargain-hunting shoppers likely will buy other things that are taxed.
“The idea is to get them in to purchase the firearm and, along with that, you get all the ancillary benefits,” he said.
Should the bill become law, West Virginia would become one of a small but growing number of states choosing to suspend state sales taxes on guns for part of the year. South Carolina and Louisiana both exempt firearms sales from state sales taxes for at least two days of the year. Lawmakers in Mississippi, Illinois and Oklahoma are considering adopting their own tax holidays.
House Bill 4521 sailed through with little debate and beat out a similar measure that would have timed the holiday to last through November. Only two lawmakers voted against the bill when it came up for a final vote in the chamber.
Varner said the holiday is timed to coincide with the start of hunting season in the state.
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Tags: 2nd Amendment, Bill of Rights, Constitution, Guns, Media, News Item, Second Amendment
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