If you’re a gun owner (or hoping to be) in the city of Seattle, it’s going to cost you: Seattle City Council has unanimously approved a new tax on gun and ammo sales.
Under the new law, referred to as the “gun violence tax,” gun and ammo sales in the city are subject to a tax of $25 per firearm at sale and $0.05 for every round of ammunition at sale ($0.02 for every round of .22 caliber ammunition and smaller). Seattle’s City Budget Office estimates that the gun violence tax will raise between $300,000 and $500,000 per year: revenue raised under the tax will be earmarked for violence prevention.
Those who support the tax believe that it could deter potential criminals from buying a gun that would be used to commit a crime. Opponents of the tax say that it unfairly penalizes lower-income individuals by making it more expensive to legally acquire a gun.
City Council President Tim Burgess says that the new law is intended to improve gun safety:
Every day, the general public pays the enormous cost of gun violence. Gun violence is a public health crisis in our city and our nation. City government can and must pursue innovative gun safety measures that save lives and save money. As it has in other areas of policy, Seattle can lead the way in local solutions.
A gun violence tax will give us revenue to provide broad-based benefits through research and prevention programs.
It wouldn’t be the only such tax in the country. A similar tax in Cook County, Illinois, was adopted after much controversy in 2012. The hope was that it would slow gun violence. However, according to reports in the Chicago Tribune, gun violence continues to escalate in the city of Chicago with the numbers of persons shot in 2015 so far on pace to top those shot in 2014.
Council also approved a related law that would require gun owners to report a lost or stolen firearm within 24 hours. Those gun owners who fail to do so would be slapped with a $500 civil penalty. Currently, federal law requires firearms businesses holding a federal license to report lost or stolen guns but not individual gun owners.
Council President Burgess said, about mandatory reporting, “This simple requirement will help law enforcement trace guns used in crimes and solve more cases. It is a straightforward and important step for gun safety.”
The reporting requirement is, as you can imagine, less controversial than the gun and ammo tax. City Council’s website links to a 2012 survey (downloads as a pdf) which found that nearly 2/3 of National Rifle Association (NRA) members support a proposal requiring gun owners to report missing weapons; such a proposal has nearly 70% support overall.
The new reporting requirement takes effect in 30 days. The new tax is slated to kick in on January 1, 2016, but hold your fire: chances are that it will be delayed as gun-rights advocates consider their legal options, including suing the city.
