Christmas Tree Tax: Obama's Plan to Ruin Christmas?
President Obama didn't want to be known as a "Grinch" this Christmas season.
The Obama administration had approved a 15 cent tax on Christmas trees, which late Wednesday afternoon, they decided to delay. 22News went to Emerson Tree Farms in Greenfield to see what impact this would and eventually may have on you.
15 cents a year, that's basically what it comes down to as a consumer. Before this delay, The United States Department of Agriculture announced a 15 cent per tree charge on producers and importers of fresh Christmas trees, provided they sell or import more than 500 trees a year. Shane Emerson of Emerson Family Christmas Tree Farms in Greenfield wasn't sure if this tax would impact him directly, but believes it would trickle down to him and the customers eventually.
"The trees aren't going to be $34.15 for example, it's going to be hidden, it will be collected from the tree growers in some way", says Shane Emerson.
The plan was for the tax money to go towards promoting the sale of live Christmas trees.
"I don't think it's necessary, people tend to buy live trees if they want live trees. It might discourage people from going for a live tree and go for an artificial tree instead", says Greenfield's Sandy Brodie.
Emerson says the idea is similar to what the Diary Industry has been doing. with it's "Got Milk" campaign.
"That's what it is meant to do, is replicate that program and bring awareness to real trees", says Emerson.
The National Christmas Tree Association is in favor of this tax and there is a chance this tax will be implemented in the future.
"Hopefully it will be good for everybody, the agriculture community, tree growers and ultimately do what it's designed to do", says Emerson.
A White House spokesman said that the Department of Agriculture will revisit this action.
- Source
The Obama administration had approved a 15 cent tax on Christmas trees, which late Wednesday afternoon, they decided to delay. 22News went to Emerson Tree Farms in Greenfield to see what impact this would and eventually may have on you.
15 cents a year, that's basically what it comes down to as a consumer. Before this delay, The United States Department of Agriculture announced a 15 cent per tree charge on producers and importers of fresh Christmas trees, provided they sell or import more than 500 trees a year. Shane Emerson of Emerson Family Christmas Tree Farms in Greenfield wasn't sure if this tax would impact him directly, but believes it would trickle down to him and the customers eventually.
"The trees aren't going to be $34.15 for example, it's going to be hidden, it will be collected from the tree growers in some way", says Shane Emerson.
The plan was for the tax money to go towards promoting the sale of live Christmas trees.
"I don't think it's necessary, people tend to buy live trees if they want live trees. It might discourage people from going for a live tree and go for an artificial tree instead", says Greenfield's Sandy Brodie.
Emerson says the idea is similar to what the Diary Industry has been doing. with it's "Got Milk" campaign.
"That's what it is meant to do, is replicate that program and bring awareness to real trees", says Emerson.
The National Christmas Tree Association is in favor of this tax and there is a chance this tax will be implemented in the future.
"Hopefully it will be good for everybody, the agriculture community, tree growers and ultimately do what it's designed to do", says Emerson.
A White House spokesman said that the Department of Agriculture will revisit this action.
- Source
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