South Dakota Senate Bill SB164

South Dakota 2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/25/24
• Refer: 1/25/24

Caption

Lower the state sales tax rate and the state use tax rate on food to zero percent, and to increase certain gross receipts tax rates, excise tax rates, and use tax rates.

Impact

The implications of SB164 extend to state revenue and local economies, creating a significant shift in how sales taxes affect food purchases compared to other goods and services. By decreasing the tax on essential food items, proponents argue that it could promote greater access to food for low-income residents, possibly improving overall public health outcomes. However, the accompanying increases in different tax rates may affect other sectors adversely, potentially leading to pushback from businesses facing higher operation costs due to increased tax liabilities.

Summary

Senate Bill 164 aims to amend current tax laws in South Dakota, particularly focusing on food sales by lowering the state sales tax rate and state use tax rate on food to zero percent. This change is intended to alleviate financial burdens on consumers purchasing food items by eliminating the tax applicable to food purchases. Simultaneously, the bill proposes an increase in various other tax rates, including certain gross receipts tax rates and excise tax rates, to offset the revenue loss resulting from the reduction on food sales tax.

Contention

There appears to be contention regarding whether the tax increases under this bill will disproportionately affect certain goods and services, which may create inequitable burdens on various industries. Critics of SB164 may argue that while lowering the food tax is beneficial, the raised taxes on services could stifle economic growth and burden consumers in other ways. Moreover, the bill represents a broader discussion on the fairness of tax structures and the redistribution of tax burdens among different consumer categories and sectors.