Release: Statement from Missourians for Fair Taxation spokesman Scott Charton about Missouri Municipal League opposition to Amendment 4, The Taxpayer Protection Amendment

Statement from Missourians for Fair Taxation spokesman Scott Charton about Missouri Municipal League opposition to

Amendment 4, The Taxpayer Protection Amendment

 

“By opposing Amendment 4, The Taxpayer Protection Amendment, the Missouri Municipal League (MML) wants the option for government to add new job-killing taxes to services Missouri families and businesses use every day. It is no surprise that government wants new ways to tax Missouri citizens. Amendment 4 sends a clear message to bureaucrats and politicians that Missourians want protection from new sales and use taxes on every day services.”

“MML is simply incorrect in stating that “there are no current efforts in Missouri to tax services.” Legislation that could lead to expansion of the sales tax base to include services has been introduced in the last seven sessions of the Missouri General Assembly. And unelected bureaucrats at the Missouri Department of Revenue are currently interpreting laws to expand sales taxes to include every day services without a vote of the people. DOR has overreached and expanded sales taxes to services including yoga lessons, dance studios and, most recently, delivery services, such as deliveries for pizza, flowers and propane. By opposing Amendment 4, MML is blessing such overreach by unelected government bureaucrats who want more of Missourians’ hard-earned tax dollars.”

“MML also ignores the fact that Amendment 4, The Taxpayer Protection Amendment, has zero impact on Missouri’s current sales tax on goods and on government budgets, because a sales tax on services is not currently being broadly collected. Amendment 4, The Taxpayer Protection Amendment, is revenue-neutral and impacts no government services. In fact, it protects taxpayers from politicians and bureaucrats who are looking for new ways to tax Missouri families.”

“Missouri law makes goods taxable, and that does not change under Amendment 4. The answer is not to expand the sales tax to services Missouri families and businesses use every day, from haircuts to car repairs, from professional services to home repairs. Amendment 4 provides protection for those who would be most harmed by a new sales tax on services, including senior citizens, the disabled, those on fixed incomes and lower-income families.”

“Amendment 4, The Taxpayer Protection Amendment, has drawn support from a diverse statewide coalition of business and trade associations that provide hundreds of thousands of jobs on Main Streets across Missouri. Together, our coalition represents thousands of small businesses seeking protection from governments’ continuing reach into our wallets. These businesses and individuals will be making their support of Amendment 4 known to politicians seeking new ways to tax Missourians.”

Learn more about Amendment 4, The Taxpayer Protection Amendment, atwww.MOTaxpayerProtection.com

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