By Themis Klarides
State Rep., R-114
Themis Klarides
Life is now going to cost everyone just a little bit more.
An increase will apply to the food we eat, the movies we enjoy with our families and even the car we are trading in to the auto dealer.
It’s a game of inch by inch with the ever-encroaching tax system of Connecticut steadily creeping into the everyday life and homes of our taxpayers. The Digital Goods Tax now increases from 1 percent to 6.35 percent. This tax will be applied to downloading movies, music, stock photography, magazines, e-greeting cards, e-books, audiobooks, podcasts, video games and more.
Next, we have the Motor Vehicle Trade-In Fee increasing from $35 to $100. There has been no clear rhyme or reason for more than doubling the fee, just that the administration saw it as an opportunity for more revenue.
The excise tax on alcohol will increases 10 percent. Liquor and package stores will pass this increase on to their customers.
There is still a grocery tax on the books here in Connecticut. The language of the law has not been changed. The language must be changed and to do so, the governor needs to call us in to a special session. The governor knew about this language and stated that he was fine with the tax because “we need the revenue.”
If the language stays the same, grocery stores and markets will have no choice but to tax our groceries to avoid being audited by the Department of Revenue Services. The governor reserves the right to immediately call the legislature back in for a special session so the language can be officially changed. House and Senate Republicans have requested a special session in the hope of changing the language and safeguarding our constituents from further uncertainty and frustration.
All of this makes for an even more unaffordable Connecticut. Increased and expanded taxes for the sake of closing a budget gap will have serious repercussions on the lives of our neighbors and families.