Do criminals pay tax on their guns & ammo?

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Tenzing_Norgay
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Do criminals pay tax on their guns & ammo?

Post by Tenzing_Norgay »

:roll:



Fact Check: Democrat's Bill Would Increase Taxes On Firearms and Ammunition

MOLLY STELLINO | USA TODAY | 4:39 pm EDT May 24, 2020

The claim: H.R. 5717 would implement a 30% tax on all gun sales and 50% tax on all ammunition sales

Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., introduced in January H.R. 5717, a bill that would strengthen measures to prevent gun violence. It has evoked mixed reactions from the public and moved to the forefront of conversation surrounding legislation not related to the coronavirus pandemic.

A Facebook user made a post in late April calling the bill, known as the Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act of 2020, “tyranny.” The user said the bill “will add 30% tax on all guns and 50% tax on all ammo.”

What H.R. 5717 would change if passed:
The bill’s intent is “to end the epidemic of gun violence and build safer communities by strengthening federal firearms laws and supporting gun violence research, intervention, and prevention initiatives,” as stated in its introduction.

If passed it would, among other measures, require individuals to obtain a license to possess firearms, raise the minimum age for purchasing firearms and require law enforcement be notified when an individual does not pass a background check.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., introduced in February a companion bill, S. 3254. Both proposals aim to ban assault weapons, a class of firearms that was banned between 1994 and 2004 under a federal law that was allowed to expire. Companion bills are meant to “promote simultaneous consideration of a measure,” according to the Senate.

Section 803 of Johnson’s H.R. 5717 details the changes that would be made to taxes on firearms and other related items.

It would make pistols, revolvers and other firearms taxable at 30%. Shells and cartridges would be taxable at 50%.

In the United States Code, a firearm is defined as “any weapon (including a starter gun) which will ... expel a projectile by the action of an explosive,” “the frame or receiver of any such weapon,” “any firearm muffler or firearm silencer,” or “any destructive device.” Destructive devices are bombs, grenades, rockets, missiles, mines or similar instruments.

Ammunition consists of multiple subcomponents: bullets, cartridge cases, powders and primers designed to be used in a firearm, according to federal law.

Andy Phelan, communications director for Johnson, said it would increase taxes on all ammunition, which is commonly referred to as "shells and cartridges" in policy.

39% of the money collected from these taxes would be put toward research on and programs for gun violence prevention. The legislation does not specify how the funds would be allocated or where the other 61% of the money would go.

Firearms and ammunition are currently taxed at about 10% and are collected through various avenues. The taxes are used for different purposes like wildlife preservation and hunter safety and education.

The bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security in late March. It has not yet been voted on by the House.

Our ruling: True

Under H.R. 5717 firearms would be taxable at 30% and ammunition would be taxable at 50%. A portion of these taxes would be used toward gun violence prevention research. We rate this claim as TRUE because it is supported by our research.

Our fact-check sources:

H.R. 5717

Facebook post, April 28, 2020

S. 3254

ABC News, Understanding the 1994 assault weapons ban and why it ended, Sept. 13, 2019

United States Senate, Companion Bill or Measure

18 U.S.C. Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Chapter 44 - Firearms

EveryCRSReport.com, Guns, Excise Taxes, Wildlife Restoration, and the National Firearms Act, March 18, 2020

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Gun Control Acts Definitions - Ammunition

Interview, Andy Phelan, Communications Director for Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson, May 20, 2020

Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.
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P5 Guy
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Post by P5 Guy »

Epidemic of Gun Violence that always makes me want to vomit.
Are there no other forms of violence?
Violent crime has been decreasing since the 1990s. Pretty sorry 'epidemic'.
Remove a demographic group from crime statistics and gun violence nearly disappears.
Like Michael Bloomberg once mused, ban blacks from owning guns to end the epidemic of gun violence. :lol:
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Firemedic2000
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Post by Firemedic2000 »

I'm not even going to say what I'm thinking about these nonsense attacks on the BILL OF RIGHTS by the DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST EXTREMISTS. :twisted: my facial emoji says it all

I'm going to listen to that song now by Marvin Gaye, Let's Get It On" 8-)
RANGER AIRBORNE, BLACK TEAM, FIREMEDIC, NRA BENEFACTOR
In the Government's/Elitist eye's I'm a Terrorist for believing in the Constitution and taking an oath to defend it instead of POLITICAL LEADERS
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