Seattle passed a gun and ammo tax

[Polak 3]

$25 on Firearms, 5 Cents per Cartridge — Seattle Levies New Tax

 

By Dave Dolbee published on August 14, 2015 in News

 

In a vote on Monday afternoon, the Seattle City Council unanimously approved new gun and ammunition taxes on sales within the city limits. The new tax places an extra $25 on each firearm and 5 cents on each round of ammunition sold. The council also passed an ordinance that requires mandatory reporting of lost and stolen firearms.

 

Directly following the vote, Seattle City Council President Tim Burgess said,

 

“Every day, the general public pays the enormous cost of gun violence. Gun violence is a public health crisis in our city and our nation. City government can and must pursue innovative gun safety measures that save lives and save money. As it has in other areas of policy, Seattle can lead the way in local solutions. A gun violence tax will give us revenue to provide broad-based benefits through research and prevention programs. Mandatory reporting provides the police information critical to investigations. I’m grateful for my colleagues’ full support for both of these measures.”

 

Tax Dollars

Seattle passes law to reach into the pockets of purchase of a firearm or bullet.

 

Therefore, the law-abiding citizens of Seattle are going to be taxed to pay for the crimes of the lawless actions of criminals. According to Burgess, the new tax is part of “…gun safety measures that save lives and save money.” However, he fails to mention how taxing gun owners will save money or lives. Make no mistake; this has nothing to do with saving money or lives and everything to do with taxing gun owners and putting legitimate firearm and ammunitions retailers out of business.

 

We all can easily deduce what will happen. The most successful firearm and ammunition retailer in the Seattle area is going to be the one that is just out of the city’s jurisdiction. The city isn’t going to save money and crime rates won’t reduce. Instead, the city will lose tax revenue from honest businesses and enact de facto gun control by limiting access to those residents who are unable to travel to buy ammunition or firearms for self-defense and penalizing others.

 

Sergey Solyanik, owner of Precise Shooter in Seattle, argued against the new tax and called the city’s numbers into question. Seattle’s lawmakers believe the city will collect between $300,000 and $500,000 in gun-tax revenue for its gun-violence prevention programs. “Basically, what the city has done is invented numbers,” said Solyanik. “Pretty much, all the numbers they have associated with this proposal are outright fake.”

 

According to Solyanik, based on past sales, the city will only generate around $80,000 from the tax. If the new tax chases businesses out of Seattle, or shooters turn to the Internet for their firearms and ammunition, those numbers could be much lower. As for Sloyanik and Precise Shooter, “My store will definitely have to move. It would not be economically viable to stay in the city,” he said, noting that there are only two primary gun shops in Seattle, but many more just outside the city.

 

3 copper topped bullets (a .22 LR, .32 ACP and .380 ACP) on a gray background

Seattle’s new tax will impose a $25 tax on all firearm purchase and 5 cents per bullet.

 

However, Solyanik isn’t packing any boxes just yet. Lawsuits will certainly be levied against the city of Seattle and Solyanik may be the plaintiff. “The very first thing that is going to happen is that all the gun stores will have to file a lawsuit trying to stay this,” Solyanik said. “So while the court considers it, the law won’t go into effect.”

 

Unfortunately, in the lawmakers’ haste, they seem to have failed to account for these expenses. Regardless the logic, or lack thereof, that went into this tax being passed and whether the new tax stands or is defeated, everyone is sure to lose—perhaps none more than the firearm and ammunition retailers, and the public in general.

 

Solyanik believes his cheapest option will be to sue the city. If unsuccessful, his next cheapest option would be to move his store out of the city’s jurisdiction. Staying in the city would not be an option. According to Solyanik, if he stays in the city, he will go out of business under the stress of the taxes and the resulting competitive disadvantage.

 

For the residents of Seattle and the firearm businesses under the city’s thumb, there is hope. Washington State’s laws specifically forbid cities from making local gun control regulations. However, there may be wiggle room by making this a tax, but that will be for the courts to determine.

 

“There is a law in the state of Washington that says you cannot enact more restrictions on firearms than already exist in the state,” Solyanik said. “It is extremely easy to show that the only intent with this law is not collecting the revenue, but legislating on guns, and it should be easy for a court to see that this is illegal.”

 

 

PERSONALLY, I would buy out of city limits to deprive them of the tax money.

[njJoniGuy 2,131]

Does this mean that the Juan, Jose and DeShawn Gun Shop (which operates out of the trunk of a '95 Monte Carlo) will also be collecting and remitting this new tax?

[pjd832 146]

Does this mean that the Juan, Jose and DeShawn Gun Shop (which operates out of the trunk of a '95 Monte Carlo) will also be collecting and remitting this new tax?repeatedly

 

no more than they abide by the gunfree zones or any of the other laws they break and convicted of repeatedly we foot the bill for now

[tattooo 220]

They should tax crack sales too.... cause they will pay up just like the gangbanger buying AK rounds for their " chopper " out of the projects..... man ....with that great idea they should be able to generate enough to bail out greece from the law abiding citizens..... gets me sick to even think how good peoples rights get pissed on & how these jerk off politicians think they are doing something good

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

What is the point of having preemption laws in place if local officials ignore them? What needs to be done is to pass laws that put some teeth in the preemption laws. If a local entity knowingly passes legislation that is illegal (contravenes preemption) the individuals that voted for such a law will be held personally liable. That would stop this kind of BS pretty quick. 

 

I think FL preemption has some teeth - maybe not to the point of personal liability, but it's a step in the right direction.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

 

EDIT: FL's law is pretty stiff...

 

 In 2011 the Florida Legislature added teeth to the law to allow for recovery of fines, litigation costs & fees, and removal from office of local politicians and bureaucrats who willfully break state law.

[PD2K 115]

Another day in the Worker's Paradise...

[tattooo 220]

Tax the good guys to pay for the scums crimes....and this reduces gun violence or whatever its " supposed " to do how ?

[Theron 5]

I think this is a good start for Seattle.

 

If only this had been in place in Colorado before James Holmes went on his rampage that additional $31 dollars in tax revenue would have prevented that tragedy.

 

I think they should pass a law requiring Gun Free Zone notifications to be done in neon, or at least in a size 48 font, laminated, on sturdy card stock.

 

Further more I think they should really review their CCW permitting process. It is entirely too easy for felons to get their permit. It only cost $50.75, AND the wait time is 30 days. Perhaps if they raised the price to $57.25 and made the wait 32 days there would be less gun violence by prohibited persons.

 

Sheesh, you think as the home of Microsoft, Starbucks, and the Sea Hawks they would have their ish together. 

 

So disappointed in them.