TRENTON, NJ – While guns and ammunition are subject to standard New Jersey sales tax, there is not an additional tax, but that could change very soon. In fact, Governor Phil Murphy has extensively lobbied for such a tax in the past.
“This is what’s needed to support the efforts of [the attorney general], our State Troopers and county and local law enforcement, to fight crime and track gun violence, and to combat the trafficking of illegal guns into our state,” Murphy said when he last asked for a gun and ammo tax in the state.
Make no mistake, this new law in California has emboldened the governor’s anti-gun agenda.
The law essentially penalizes legal and responsible gun owners for the actions of criminals and illegal gun owners who don’t obey the law.
California has become the first state in America to add an additional tax on guns and ammunition.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law on Tuesday an 11% state excise tax on firearm and ammunition sales, with projected annual revenues of $160 million intended for gun violence prevention. The tax, effective July 2024, will be in addition to existing federal excise taxes on firearms and ammunition.
The legislation was signed four days after a federal judge nullified a California high-capacity ammunition magazine ban, arguing it violated the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. Newsom’s action comes amid a spate of shootings nationwide, causing 104 fatalities in the last 74 hours, according to his office.
Data indicate that California’s gun-related death rate is 40% lower than the national average, said Newsom. The new state tax will be levied on the gross receipts from gun and bullet sales by manufacturers, retailers, and dealers in California.
The tax is part of a larger gun safety legislative package passed by California’s Democratic-controlled legislature. Among the bills is one that raises the minimum age for applying for a concealed gun permit from 18 to 21, increases training requirements, and bans alcohol consumption while carrying a concealed weapon. The law will also prohibit concealed weapons in airports, schools, and other specified areas.
Despite the legislation being designed to withstand legal challenges, the California Rifle & Pistol Association has announced a preemptive lawsuit against the measure. Supporters of the tax highlight a 2021 report which found that gun deaths and injuries cost the state $22.6 billion each year, with $1.2 billion borne directly by taxpayers.