The Georgia Senate voted 30-22 to approve a five-day sales tax holiday for guns and ammo in October before deer hunting season. The bill, approved Tuesday, Feb. 6, now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.
During this type of holiday, a state exempts some purchases from sales tax. For example, some states hold a sales tax holiday for back-to-school shopping so parents can purchase school supplies tax-free.
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In 2023, 18 states observed a sales tax holiday, according to the Tax Foundation.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jason Anavitarte, R-Ga., is hoping to promote hunting and cut down on the feral hog and deer populations.
“The Second Amendment sales tax holiday is intended to encourage hunting, conservation and tourism in the state of Georgia,” Anavitarte said on the Senate floor.
Democrats said making guns cheaper would put more firearms into the wrong hands and could have deadly consequences.
“I’m still waiting and waiting for gun violence to go down,” Sen. Elena Parent, D-Ga., said. “Instead, it’s gone up, and up, and up and that’s not an accident. Of course, that’s what happens when you have more guns in more hands in more places. That’s what’s going to happen, and then you’ve got more guns out on the streets, more people dead, more kids dead, more gang violence.”
If the Georgia bill becomes law, the state would join South Carolina, Louisiana and Mississippi which have similar tax-free holidays on the books for guns and gun accessories.
