December 15, 2016
A Pennsylvania lawmaker wants to help Pennsylvanians save money by making their Christmas trees tax-exempt.
Invoking the infamous character from "A Christmas Carol," state Rep. Seth Grove, R-York, plans to introduce legislation next year called the “Don’t be a Scrooge” bill.
“Christmas trees are one of the few agricultural products not exempt from sales tax. This bill would produce some savings for families who buy Christmas trees at a time when most are counting pennies to afford presents to sit under those trees,” Grove said. “Removing the trees from the list of taxed items also cuts down on work Christmas tree farms put toward managing the books.”
This is Grove's second time trying to make Christmas trees tax-exempt. He introduced a similar bill in 2015 that had 23 co-sponsors, but it never made it out of the House Finance Committee.
Grove said he's circulating a memo to fellow legislators for co-sponsorship. The bill would apply to trees sold at tree farms.
