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To the Editor: The Vermont Tax Structure Commissionâs final report to the legislature recommended the expansion of âthe sales tax base to all consumer-level purchases of goods and services except healthcare and casual consumer-to-consumer transactionsâ (report, page 7). Further, the commission recommended that the legislature âuse the gain from broadening the base to protect low-income Vermonters and reduce the sales tax rate to 3.6%â (Page 7). Put simply, Vermont canât afford this.
There are four reasons why this is a bad recommendation. First, if you believe this broader-based tax rate would be lowered to the commissionâs ârevenue-neutral scenarioâ rate of 3.6 percent that holds âlow-income Vermonters harmless,â I have a bridge to sell you. Heck, since itâs Vermont, Iâll make it a covered bridge.