Christmas Tree tax may move ahead as Congress may role out ‘Christmas Tree Promotion Board’
The House Agriculture Committee approved an amendment to its farm bill that would lift the stay blocking implementation of President Obama’s Christmas tree tax.
photo Tammy Kirk
A fee would come courtesy of the farm bill’s establishment of a Christmas Tree Promotion Board, with a mission “to enhance the image of Christmas trees and the Christmas tree industry in the United States,” The Foundry reported.
This 15% tax was delayed after efforts in 2011 failed when “after conservatives accused the Agriculture Department of spoiling Christmas with a new tree tax.” (Source)
The United States Department of Agriculture “is going to delay implementation and revisit this action,” White House Assistant Press Secretary Matt Lehrich [said] back in 2011.
“A 15-cent tax may not seem like much,” said Daren Bakst, an analyst with the Heritage Foundation. “However, taxes are a death by a thousand cuts. One of those cuts shouldn’t come from the Christmas tree. One way to actually hurt the image of the Christmas tree is to make it a symbol of taxation during the holiday season.”
Once an “assessment” is no longer voluntary and is enforced by the government, it’s a tax. The Christmas tree industry failed with its voluntary system and now has to use force to achieve its objectives.
[…] Even the Christmas Tree tax that this administration has been trying to get passed for three years is now becoming a reality. While this is also an attack on Christmas, and Christianity, it is also another way to get your money. It will start at 15 to 20 cents a tree. Doesn’t seem harsh does it, but watch that tax grow. With millions of trees sold, combined it will be lots of money for the government to take from you. There is an old saying: “death by a thousand cuts”. While each tax that is coming may seem small, it chips away at your wallet bit by bit until one day you think “Why can’t I save any money?” http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/christmas-tree-tax-may-move-ahead-as-congress-may-role-out-christma… […]