A bill that would temporarily exempt gun safes and trigger locks from Michigan’s 6-percent sales tax was unanimously approved Thursday by the state Senate and is now headed to the GOP-controlled House of Representatives for consideration.
Supporters hope the tax exemption will encourage gun owners to buy the firearm safety devices and decrease accidental shootings and gun theft. "Michigan should be doing everything we can to promote gun safety," said one of the bill’s sponsors, Republican Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker.
The proposed tax exemptions would take effect 90 days after becoming law and expire Jan. 1, 2018. An amendment included by Democratic Sen. Rebekah Warren will require stores to notify gun buyers, in writing, of the sales tax holiday during transactions and also post a notice on the premises. If passed, Michigan would become the fifth state to exempt firearm safety devices from states sales tax, joining Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Washington.
