Unregistered
June 22nd, 2003, 03:53 PM
A recent News story was right in stating that the sales tax on clothing hurts retailers in New York, especially in the Southern Tier, because nearby Pennsylvania has no such tax. Clothing businesses in Chautauqua County began reviving a few years ago when Albany suspended the state sales tax on some items of clothing and let each county do the same with its own sales tax.
When there was no state or county sales tax on those items, people had less incentive to shop elsewhere, so more local retail jobs were created. It was a win-win situation until this month, when Albany not only ended all suspensions but also increased the state tax.
This isn't the first time Albany has been reluctant to cut this tax. First, it suspended the tax for some items of clothing effective Dec. 1, 1999. Second, it postponed the suspension until March 1, 2000. Third, it allowed two "sales-tax free" weeks in the interim, just as it will do in August and January. But a sales-tax free week increases sales in that week and hurts stores in the surrounding weeks.
Unless we pull this tax up by its roots, it will just grow back. Albany has just proved to the entire state that a partial suspension of this tax doesn't last. The only way to end this tax is to end it entirely - for all clothing, all the time, and now, before it sends more people to shop elsewhere and costs us more jobs.
RANDY ELF
Lakewood
www.buffalo.com
When there was no state or county sales tax on those items, people had less incentive to shop elsewhere, so more local retail jobs were created. It was a win-win situation until this month, when Albany not only ended all suspensions but also increased the state tax.
This isn't the first time Albany has been reluctant to cut this tax. First, it suspended the tax for some items of clothing effective Dec. 1, 1999. Second, it postponed the suspension until March 1, 2000. Third, it allowed two "sales-tax free" weeks in the interim, just as it will do in August and January. But a sales-tax free week increases sales in that week and hurts stores in the surrounding weeks.
Unless we pull this tax up by its roots, it will just grow back. Albany has just proved to the entire state that a partial suspension of this tax doesn't last. The only way to end this tax is to end it entirely - for all clothing, all the time, and now, before it sends more people to shop elsewhere and costs us more jobs.
RANDY ELF
Lakewood
www.buffalo.com