California Passes 11% excise tax on guns and ammunition

[CamoDeafie]

@msgriff

Perhaps.. a tax on the enjoyment, exercising and application of the 2A is the unconstitutional thing, but not on the goods?

To whit...

If they, (and they're wanting to) propose that a tax be imposed on the carry of arms, and also a tax be collected for the storage and keeping of arms on your property, then yes that would be blatantly unconstitutional.

Edit. We pay an excise tax and other things on phones, electronics, sales taxes on papers, pens, computers, taxes on the means to convey people, taxes on the property that other people can use ("public property") taxes on housing and shelters, taxes on capital gains....

 

[Droo]

This kills any sort of small profit seen for the majority of gun sales at small LGS's. It's just another way of putting mom and pop shops out of business all while making it harder for us to exercise our 2A rights. Par for the course at this point unfortunately, this needs to stop.

 

[nammac]

Didn't some guys dump tea in some harbor in protest of being taxed and not being represented? History just keeps repeating itself…

 

[Alexx1401]

They are going to keep getting what they ask for until they have had enough. There are millions of legal gun owners in the state. If they got together and voted as a bock they could make law makers run in fear. Instead they shoot themselves in the foot over and over and they are getting this.

 

[Alexx1401]

Didn't some guys dump tea in some harbor in protest of being taxed and not being represented? History just keeps repeating itself…

We shall see if many there care. So far they keep proving they don't care so they keep getting more sadly. This will soon spread north.

 

[CamoDeafie]

We just keep telling the Govt that they have nothing to fear from gun owners because we haven't gotten up in arms over the many things they've done towards the elimination of 2A, and eliminated them from Congress and State govts.

 

[msgriff]

@msgriff

Perhaps.. a tax on the enjoyment, exercising and application of the 2A is the unconstitutional thing, but not on the goods?

To whit...

If they, (and they're wanting to) propose that a tax be imposed on the carry of arms, and also a tax be collected for the storage and keeping of arms on your property, then yes that would be blatantly unconstitutional.

Edit. We pay an excise tax and other things on phones, electronics, sales taxes on papers, pens, computers, taxes on the means to convey people, taxes on the property that other people can use ("public property") taxes on housing and shelters, taxes on capital gains....

What percentage tax, levied only on firearms and ammunition, would you consider as an infringement on the 2nd Amendment?

 

[CamoDeafie]

What percentage tax, levied only on firearms and ammunition, would you consider as an infringement on the 2nd Amendment?

Anything over 1%

But really. What I am saying.. if you have ever used the Internet to send emails to your Reps, Senators, to exercise your 1st Amendment rights.. you paid an excise tax on the internet service. If you've ever used a phone...you paid an excise tax on the phone service.

If you mailed letters.. you paid excise taxes on the materials and paid for the stamps.

If you've ever used a car to get to a place to assemble, you've already paid the taxes on everything relating to the car (gas, purchase, road taxes).


If you've ever used any paid service to protect your documents, your digital data, or your ID to exercise your 4th and 5th Amendment Rights; you already paid excise taxes on all of these.

 

[mhayd93]

Might as well bring back the poll tax while we're at it!

 

[msgriff]

Anything over 1%

But really. What I am saying.. if you have ever used the Internet to send emails to your Reps, Senators, to exercise your 1st Amendment rights.. you paid an excise tax on the internet service. If you've ever used a phone...you paid an excise tax on the phone service.

If you mailed letters.. you paid excise taxes on the materials and paid for the stamps.

If you've ever used a car to get to a place to assemble, you've already paid the taxes on everything relating to the car (gas, purchase, road taxes).


If you've ever used any paid service to protect your documents, your digital data, or your ID to exercise your 4th and 5th Amendment Rights; you already paid excise taxes on all of these.

Onerous taxation of the examples you provided, used to control or limit the exercise of the applicable Constitutional right, would be just as heinous as what the leftists/Democrats are doing to our 2nd Amendment rights. And that will be next in their playbook.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Onerous taxation of the examples you provided, used to control or limit the exercise of the applicable Constitutional right, would be just as heinous as what the leftists/Democrats are doing to our 2nd Amendment rights. And that will be next in their playbook.

And they are already being done. Look real close at your bills breakdowns.

 

[Stomper]

This kills any sort of small profit seen for the majority of gun sales at small LGS's. It's just another way of putting mom and pop shops out of business all while making it harder for us to exercise our 2A rights. Par for the course at this point unfortunately, this needs to stop.

No…. they will raise the price by the amount of the tax which the CUSTOMER pays and they will still get their profit. What may put them out of business is if people don't pay the tax increase by not buying anything at all.


Governments love to hide behind this by making businesses seem like the bad guy.

 

[Droo]

by not buying anything at all

Switching to online/out-of-state purchases, absolutely. They'll just make that the next thing to be regulated.

Governments love to hide behind this by making businesses seem like the bad guy.

Amen to this

 

[Certaindeaf]

Onerous taxation of the examples you provided, used to control or limit the exercise of the applicable Constitutional right, would be just as heinous as what the leftists/Democrats are doing to our 2nd Amendment rights. And that will be next in their playbook.

And this will only add to the many existing infringements/ barriers California already has regarding firearms and ammunition.

 

[Yarome]

Anything over 1%

But really. What I am saying.. if you have ever used the Internet to send emails to your Reps, Senators, to exercise your 1st Amendment rights.. you paid an excise tax on the internet service. If you've ever used a phone...you paid an excise tax on the phone service.

If you mailed letters.. you paid excise taxes on the materials and paid for the stamps.

If you've ever used a car to get to a place to assemble, you've already paid the taxes on everything relating to the car (gas, purchase, road taxes).


If you've ever used any paid service to protect your documents, your digital data, or your ID to exercise your 4th and 5th Amendment Rights; you already paid excise taxes on all of these.

All of your examples though are optional, indirect to your right and a bit of a stretch to equate it to a tax on free speech. The means in how you express your free speech is up to you... but you don't pay any tax simply to open your mouth.

If you choose not to express your opinion using any of the means exampled... your right to free speech is not forfeit.

A tax on firearms is not optional. Your right is being directly taxed and payment to exercise that right is mandatory. You can still choose not to pay, but you are also choosing not to exercise your 2A right.

 

[wired]

How is that not unconstitutional af?!

Weve had excise taxes on guns and ammo for decades.

 

[Jay Walk]

And this will only add to the many existing infringements/ barriers California already has regarding firearms and ammunition.

Every little bit helps.

 

[CamoDeafie]

No tax on making your own non-NFA firearms, other than State sales taxes depending on which State. Not 100% sure about ammunition components?

 

[Stomper]

Weve had excise taxes on guns and ammo for decades.

I believe there was a case concerning an attempted tax on printing ink that was found unconstitutional because it violated 1A rights, this seems like an analogous subject.

 

[wired]

I believe there was a case concerning an attempted tax on printing ink that was found unconstitutional because it violated 1A rights, this seems like an analogous subject.

Theres never been a court case challenging the excise tax on firearms and ammo. Not that Ive ever been able to find.