A good rule of thumb is to never listen to leftists when it comes to guns, taxes, or the economy. Here’s exhibit Q showing why. Remember that gun tax Seattle recently created (see Progressive Seattle Passes Useless Gun Control Tax Law)? According to reports, the city spent more money defending it court than they collected in revenue from the tax.
King County Superior Court Judge Lori K. Smith ruled in favor of the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) on Friday in a Public Records Act suit over Seattle’s refusal to disclose the exact amount of revenue collected through their “gun violence tax.” The group said the real revenue numbers revealed in court documents appear to fall short of the city’s projections.
The tax, which works out to $25 per firearm and 2 or 5 cents per round of ammunition, has thus far generated no more than $108,013.04, according to court documents. During the discovery portion of the suit, Seattle’s lawyers revealed that a single gun seller accounted for more than 80 percent of the gun-tax revenue. [The] SAF Founder said … “The council was told that this tax could generate between $300,000 and a half-million dollars, but now it appears the city has collected just over $100,000, which is an embarrassing shortfall.”
Yeah, also it turns out the majority of that $100,000 was coming from just one dude. We weep for him. But there’s justice in the air today. Guess how much this lawsuit cost Seattle?
Here’s a hint: it’s more than $108,013.04.
SAF said the legal costs and penalty that Seattle will be forced to pay in the case will amount to more than the revenue the tax brought in.
“The city has essentially lost money on this scheme because now they have to pay our attorney fees, plus a small penalty … On top of that, the city has lost tax revenue because one major gun dealer has moved out of the city and another has reported considerable sales losses. That is tax money the city will never realize.”
King County Superior Court Judge Lori K. Smith ruled in favor of the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) on Friday in a Public Records Act suit over Seattle’s refusal to disclose the exact amount of revenue collected through their “gun violence tax.” The group said the real revenue numbers revealed in court documents appear to fall short of the city’s projections.
The tax, which works out to $25 per firearm and 2 or 5 cents per round of ammunition, has thus far generated no more than $108,013.04, according to court documents. During the discovery portion of the suit, Seattle’s lawyers revealed that a single gun seller accounted for more than 80 percent of the gun-tax revenue. [The] SAF Founder said … “The council was told that this tax could generate between $300,000 and a half-million dollars, but now it appears the city has collected just over $100,000, which is an embarrassing shortfall.”
Yeah, also it turns out the majority of that $100,000 was coming from just one dude. We weep for him. But there’s justice in the air today. Guess how much this lawsuit cost Seattle?
Here’s a hint: it’s more than $108,013.04.
SAF said the legal costs and penalty that Seattle will be forced to pay in the case will amount to more than the revenue the tax brought in.
“The city has essentially lost money on this scheme because now they have to pay our attorney fees, plus a small penalty … On top of that, the city has lost tax revenue because one major gun dealer has moved out of the city and another has reported considerable sales losses. That is tax money the city will never realize.”
