New Sales Tax in Kentucky Starts Today

[Norbert]

Starting Sunday, prices for things like car repairs, tanning bed visits, veterinary care and gym memberships will jump 6 percent because of a new law passed by Kentucky's Republican-controlled legislature.

On the same day, nonprofits will have to add an extra 6 percent for admission to cultural and athletic events. That includes things like tickets to the state's beloved University of Kentucky men's basketball games, according to Richard Dobson, executive director of the state Office of Sales and Excise Taxes.

The change comes from a recent state Supreme Court ruling that says the Kentucky Constitution does not exempt nonprofits from state sales and use taxes.

Once again, a state that is totally GOP controlled raises taxes destroying the myth that the Democrats are the ones that tax people.

[link:https://www.wcpo.com/money/kentucky-braces-for-new-sales-taxes-on-july-1|

[smirkymonkey]

1. Tax and Spend Republicans!

Spend it on tax breaks for the rich. Everyone else gets screwed. So much winning!

[get the red out]

4. Yep

I live in Kentucky, they want to screw teachers over on their pensions while raising taxes. If the taxes would get them to leave teachers and other state employees with the benefits they were promised it wouldn't piss me off, but Rs just take money and waste it while society suffers. Matt Bevin has to be the worst Governor we have had in decades, and just like Trump, he followed one of the best Govs we had had in a long time. He probably won't get another term, at least that.

[smirkymonkey]

5. And yet the state overwhelming votes republican.

I don't understand it. I'm sorry you have to put up with such an ignorant electorate.

[get the red out]

9. Religion

The R party owns the largest denominations in this state, that is a HUGE part of it, and racism, but when your religion backs your racism it starts to look like one big picture.

The tide has turned on this son of a bitch though. And the 6th congressional district (where I live)has a fantastic dem running against Andy Barr. Her name is Amy McGrath and she has pulled even with that POS. We had a Dem Congressman pretty recently, so it isn't without precedent, just like we had a Dem Gov not long ago.

Louisville is blue and Lexington is purple, almost blue. Taxing basketball tickets that much might hit home if nothing else (second largest religion in the state).

[smirkymonkey]

19. I have seen Amy's ads and she seems great!

I really hope she wins! Kentucky needs someone like her.

[njcpa1978]

2. Sales tax policy

People often forget that sales tax is regressive. The lower income families spend a higher percentage of their income on sales tax than the wealthy. So you cut the income tax rate and have the lower salaried earners supplement the rich. Seems fair to me. 😲. NJ just passed a millionaire's tax to balance the budget.

[JI7]

3. I can understand tanning bed and other luxury items. But car repairs will

hurt those with less more.

And how about raising taxes on the wealthy ?

[get the red out]

6. Bevin wouldn't dare

hurt himself and his cronies, he is after teachers, state employees, and the poor.

[paleotn]

11. Are you kidding?

Rethugs only like sneaky, regressive taxes. The pulled the same crap here in NC a few years ago. Expand sales and use taxes, fees etc., while reducing income taxes.

[Rebl2]

7. Thought

Republicans didn’t like taxes.

[Bengus81]

8. Republicans hiked sales tax TWICE in Kansas while giving Corporations a ZERO % tax rate.....

This happened during the Brownback Tinkle down FAILED experiment where he claimed Corporations big and small would be beating a path to set up shop in Kansas. Never happened and Kansas damn near went BK before even Republicans came to their senses and rolled back those zero tax rates. But....we still have the two sales tax increases. Tax revenue is flowing back in but KKKobach who is running for Gov promises to return right back to the Brownback zero rate and cut and gut everything he can get his hands on to pay for it.

We're also one of just a few States that charges FULL sales tax on store bought food. Funny how Republicans don't look at this as a tax--nah only INCOME taxes count. Sales tax is a FEE that you should gladly pay.

[SayItLoud]

10. Simple solution....

VOTE.

I hope China, Canada et al put tariffs on whiskey too!

[Ohiogal]

12. So mind boggling

that people keep voting against their own interests over and over and over!

Bevin ran against the ACA which was doing quite well in his state, also now we have KY leading the way in the movement to make people toil away for very meager food stamp benefits.

[True Blue American]

13. Republicans in Ohio

Just pushed through another hike in Sales Tax. Second one in a year.

[heaven05]

16. wow

feeling it. The state I live in has a pretty large sales tax. It really does hurt when I have a bad month, financially. Which in this retirement(forced) is every month.

[True Blue American]

18. That is the problem.

Those on fixed incomes do not get raises. If they get a small one it is eaten up by another increase.

[heaven05]

14. damn

that's a huge tax and a large gouging of americans out of their hard earned dollars. Well RW kentuckians voted to get this tax by voting for those who made this change, enjoy. Those who didn't, I do commiserate. damn, what a gouge.)

[Ferrets are Cool]

15. I bet the churches are exempted

[malthaussen]

17. By extraordinary good fortune...

... we just got the car repaired yesterday.

It's kind of amazing to me that cumulative regressive taxes here in the middle of nowhere are greater than they were in the suburbs of Philadelphia. When you think of how many services are administered, it becomes really mind-boggling.

-- Mal

[Scurrilous]

20. K&R