Tennis Shoe Tax Turmoil, Not In Texas!

Most Americans believe that we are already over-taxed. There are huge additional sales taxes on gasoline, produce and clothing. Let us not forget the sad day that the “Big Gulp” 40oz soda fountain drink became as infamous an outlaw as Jessie James. You may be paying more to eat a Snickers, but here is a story of how in Illinois, one might be paying more for a pair of SNEAKERS.

A report came out from an Illinois newspaper,The Quad City Times,that state rep Will Davis (D) has proposed a 25 cent additional sales tax to all “athletic shoes“. The additional 25 cents is estimated to create waves among the retailers as they will have to submit additional paperwork and undergo additional administrative burden. Increased workload to retailer could cause them to inflate their prices in order to keep their margins. This could result in what was proposed as a minor increase in cents to become a change in dollars. To my knowledge this is the first tax directed specifically at athletic shoes. The average price of athletic shoes has climbed about $2 in the last five years. However, since 2009 the highest priced athletic shoes have hit record numbers, including yearly record breaking sales numbers for shoes over $200. The highest price paid for athletic shoes is for the 14-17 year old age group. The cost of the “original”, “God-Father” of tennis shoes, The Converse Chuck Taylor Low-Top was about $36. LeBron James’ newest Nike is over $300. Athletic shoes are getting expensive enough, without an additional tax.

On the lighter side of the story, the tax increase is estimated to generate an additional $300million for the state’s YouthBuild Programs, which help Illinois’ youth learn valuable skills in construction as they build low-income homes. The question could be, will these youth soon be building the homes barefoot, since they won’t be able to afford the higher priced shoes?

QuadCity Times original post

For more information on shoes of all types contact Dr. Jeff Bowman of Houston Foot Specialists at 713-467-8886 or online appointments and more shoe information at www.houstonfootspecialists.com.

Category: Footwear

Tags: Athletic Shoes, Barefoot, Converse Chuck Taylors, Footwear, shoes, Tennis Shoe Tax