OKPOLICY.ORG
By Kimberly Jackson
Tulsa, Okla.(KTUL) — Tulsa, OKLA. – If you think the sales tax is too high now, you could pay even more for basic needs for your family.
It is all part of the plan for Governor Mary Fallin who hopes to eliminate sales tax on groceries.
While the grocery tax could disappear, Fallin also outlined dozens of services that could provide sales tax revenues if approved.
These services are some of the basic necessities families utilize including doctor visits, utilities, and childcare services.
At the Blowout Studio, Tori Tyson feels that she pays enough taxes on the hair products she sells.
“They make me pay sales tax on all of this. I have to do a separate tax,” she said.
Tyson would have to do much more if she were to charge her clients sales tax on her services as well.
We showed her the Governor’s proposed list.
“We are already taxed. I’m trying to figure out how much money. You’ve got a tax on everything. You rent a car, you got five different taxes,” said Tyson.
Governor Mary Fallin has called for sales tax in her plan on many services including funerals, grooming your pets, and even on your family’s doctor visits.
“Healthcare is already expensive enough, you start tacking on taxes,” explained Trish Adams, a concerned citizen.
Many are watching the policies and procedures, concerned the list may go too far while saving consumers on grocery taxes but charging them too much for basic services.
“So there would be gains in some ways and losses in other ways so it is definitely complicated. So we would just say going forward, get down into the details and be specific about what you want to do,” explained Gene Perry, a Policy Director for the Oklahoma Policy Institute.
He says Oklahoma needs to find a balance without hurting working families.
“Nobody wants to pay but somebody has to pay. And we want to find a way to do that in the most-fair way,” said Perry.
http://ktul.com/news/local/plan-to-increase-state-revenues-could-mean-sales-tax-on-basic-needs
