Why do I have to be the one to ask the tough questions and come across as though I am picking on the NRA again? I have to ask certain questions when I don’t understand. I am willing to entertain serious comments on why the newly passed into law “Firearms Tax Improvement Act” is being hailed as not a tax but yet certainly appears like a tax to me, no matter how small that tax is?

First let’s set the record straight. I sounds as though the bill will make the job of tax accounting for those people selling firearms, ammunition and certain other recreational equipment a whole lot easier. These vendors have paid federal excise tax bi-weekly and now it will be able to be done quarterly, like all other manufacturers. Great! Reducing the bureaucratic nonsense is good.

The NRA and others are hailing their victory and stating that this change is being done without increasing taxes.

This legislation will neither raise taxes nor exempt firearm and ammunition manufacturers from paying federal excise taxes into the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund.

Great!

However, the Bill text says this:

The percentage under paragraph (2) of section 561 of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act is increased by 0.25 percentage points.

Hmmmmm!

And the NRA says this:

The Joint Committee on Taxation has estimated that this legislation will create a net revenue increase of $4 million over 10 years.

Not so great! If this Act does not increase taxes, then where is the $4 million revenue increase going to come from? I’m struggling with this concept. Is this a battle of semantics where by definition an increase is not a tax? Is this a matter of the Act itself didn’t cause an increase but the Restore Unemployment Act did? Therefore it’s not a tax?

It matters not whether this Act complies or doesn’t comply with the Paygo. It matters not whether supporters of the bill think it doesn’t matter this tiny tax. What matters is that people should be told the truth and I don’t feel that we have been.

I don’t understand the Joint Committee on Taxation’s calculations as to how they arrived at a net revenue increase of $4 million over ten years and then to be able to say this isn’t a new tax.

Help me!

I almost walk alone as the vote was 412-6. The following people voted against the bill but I don’t know their reasoning for doing so. More homework for me.

Reps. John Conyers (D-MI), Sam Farr (D-CA), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Ron Paul (R-TX) and Maxine Waters (D-CA)

Tom Remington

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