A luxury tax is often seen as a progressive tax because it targets a certain demographic of wealthy taxpayers and only applies to purchases made by high-income individuals who can afford them.
Luxury Taxes
A luxury tax is a tax that’s levied on some items that exceed a certain price that isn’t considered to be necessities in life. These things are considered luxury items, as the name implies.
You may never be required to pay this tax because you can always choose not to purchase an item that may be subject to a luxury tax. The luxury tax focuses on high-priced items such as jewelry and expensive high-end vehicles such as boats and airplanes.
How Does A Luxury Tax Work?
A luxury tax is a percentage added to the purchasing price of an applicable product. Unless you make that certain type of purchase, you won’t have to worry about paying for it. Only states collect sales taxes, not the federal government.
For example, New Hampshire imposes a one-time 0.4% surcharge on vehicles that cost more than $55,000 or any vehicle that has a fuel efficiency rating of fewer than 19 miles per gallon.
Theoretically, let’s assume you paid $60,000 for a fancy vehicle in New Hampshire. You’d have to pay 0.4% extra on that car since it’s more than $55,000 plus any other state sales taxes and fees.
However, luxury taxes are not necessarily imposed on just vehicles. Another example would be buying an alcoholic beverage at an establishment. On the premises of a casino in, let’s say, Las Vegas, Nevada you’ll pay a luxury tax of 9.625% for an alcoholic drink because ordering a beverage at a drinking, dining, or gaming institution would be considered a luxury.
But, if you bought a bottle of wine or a beer can at a liquor store or convenience store instead, you’d only need to pay the state’s sales tax.
Downfall Of Luxury Taxes
Critics of the luxury tax argue that it damages the market for luxury goods and that it cannot be relied on to generate the necessary revenue. The luxury tax may be overly reliant on individual preferences. Consumers can simply avoid making these high-end purchases that are subject to the luxury tax.
Taxpayers and consumers alike simply changed their buying habits as a result of the luxury tax. To avoid the tax at all costs, consumers bought slightly-used yachts rather than completely new ones. Because of this, the yacht industry suffered as a result in the early 1990s.
Resolve Your Tax Bills
If you’ve found yourself in a nasty mess with the IRS, take a deep breath. For taxpayers who may have difficulty paying off an excessive amount of tax debt, there’s a new and improved relief program that consolidates many major relief programs into a one-size-fits-all assistance program. Any issues regarding back taxes, unfiled years, or any other tax-related problems may be solved through one program; the IRS Fresh Start Program!
How Simple Is Qualifying?
Considering that the Fresh Start Program is a federal program, you would think meeting the qualifications may be very difficult, but really, it’s a lot simpler and quicker than you think. Take the following steps in order to find out if you are eligible in as little as 3 minutes.
- Fill out some basic information about yourself and your back taxes here.
- Have a representative reach out to you to discuss your eligibility.
- Go through the enrollment process and finally reduce or eliminate your tax liabilities.
