Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law. *JLL242* 02/24/2025 4:29:48 PM JLL242 State of Arkansas 1 95th General Assembly A Bill 2 Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 289 3 4 By: Senator J. Dotson 5 6 7 For An Act To Be Entitled 8 AN ACT TO CUT THE STATEWIDE SALES TAX RATE BY ONE -9 EIGHTH PERCENT TO REDUCE THE SURPLUS FUNDS COLLECTED 10 FROM ARKANSAS TAXPAYERS; TO AMEND THE SALES AND USE 11 TAX RATE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 12 13 14 Subtitle 15 TO CUT THE STATEWIDE SALES TAX RATE BY 16 ONE-EIGHTH PERCENT TO REDUCE THE SURPLUS 17 FUNDS COLLECTED FROM ARKANSAS TAXPAYERS. 18 19 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 20 21 SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative findings. 22 The General Assembly finds that: 23 (1) Arkansas has the third highest combined state and local 24 sales tax rate in the nation; 25 (2) One (1) of the reasons Arkansas has a high sales tax rate is 26 because the state levies more sales tax than is required to fund the Property 27 Tax Relief Trust Fund, which has a growing balance; and 28 (3) It is necessary to provide relief from sales tax for all 29 Arkansans. 30 31 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 26 -52-302(c)(1), concerning the additional 32 sales tax levied to fund property tax relief, is amended to read as follows: 33 (c)(1) Except for food and food ingredients that are taxed under § 26 -34 52-317 and except for used motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers that 35 are taxed under § 26 -52-324, there is levied an additional excise tax of one-36 SB289 2 02/24/2025 4:29:48 PM JLL242 half of one percent (0.5%) three-eighths percent (3/8%) upon all taxable 1 sales of property, specified digital products, digital codes, and services 2 subject to the tax levied by this chapter. 3 4 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 26 -53-107(c)(1), concerning the additional 5 use tax levied to fund property tax relief, is amended to read as follows: 6 (c)(1) There is levied an additional excise tax of one-half of one 7 percent (0.5%) three-eighths percent (3/8%) upon all tangible personal 8 property, specified digital products, digital codes, and taxable services 9 subject to the tax levied by this subchapter except for food and food 10 ingredients that are taxed under § 26 -53-145 and except for used motor 11 vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers that are taxed under § 26 -53-150. 12 13 SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. Sections 2 and 3 of this act are effective 14 on the first day of the calendar quarter following the effective date of this 15 act. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36