City to place use tax on August ballot: Branson officials say measure does not represent sales tax …
BRANSON MO NEWS: Branson voters will decide the fate of a 2 percent use tax. Branson aldermen voted 4-0 on first reading Tuesday to put the item on the Aug. 7 ballot.According to Jamie Rouch, director of finance for the city, the use tax isn’t an increase to the local sales tax, but will allow the city to get it’s share of taxes already being collected.“The use tax isn’t increasing the sales tax for the city of Branson,” Rouch said. “It’s simply allowing us to collect out-of-state online sales. Most of them are already being collected, we just don’t have the ability in the city to collect them.”
According to the Missouri Municipal League – an independent, statewide, nonprofit association that looks to develop agency for communities in the state – a use tax is a sales tax imposed on the purchase of goods by Missouri residents from out-of-state vendors.Essentially, a staff report from the city states, a use tax would look to eliminate the advantage out-of-state retailers have over those located in Missouri.The rate of 2 percent matches the existing sales tax for the city of Branson, which includes the 1 percent general sales tax, and .5 percent transportation and public safety taxes.Rouch said estimates from the state say Branson would collect an additional $309,000 per year from the Department of Revenue if the tax is approved by voters.“We just want what’s rightfully ours,” Mayor Karen Best said. “We don’t want you to give us more money, we just want to take what’s ours that somebody else is keeping.”
When looking at purchases made through online retailers, Melody Pettit, director of communication for Branson, said there would be no changes to what Branson residents currently pay.“It’s still the same amount as it is right …
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