We warned last year that Seattle’s ill-advised gun tax—$25 for every firearm and 5¢ per round of ammunition sold in the city—would drive both merchants and customers out of the city, causing a loss of tax revenue.
Now a report in The Seattle Times indicates we were right, as the new tax brought in less than half of the revenue promoters had predicted.
According to the Times, firearm and ammo tax payments to the city were less than $200,000, far below the $300,000 to $500,000 promised by those promoting the tax. (Of course, “less than $200,000” could mean a lot less; they don’t say.) At the same time, gun and ammo sellers moved to other locations outside the city where customers could buy their wares without paying the exorbitant tax.
The low revenue revealed by the Times is even more evidence that gun-hating politicians passed the law not to raise money, but to try to depress firearm and ammo sales.
