Pumpkins aren’t food?
Filed under: Weird but True, In the News
Have you ever purchased a pumpkin for any purpose other than as a Halloween decoration? Although I sometimes save the seeds from a pumpkin to roast or plant, that has never been my main goal when bringing home a pumpkin. The powers-that-be in Iowa are on to this and have decided that because pumpkins are more likely to be used as a decoration than as a food, they are subject to a 5% sales tax."We made the change because we wanted the sales tax law to match what we thought the predominant use was," Renee Mulvey, a spokeswoman for the state tax office, says. "We thought the predominant use was for decorations or jack-o'-lanterns." The state expects to add about $70,000 in tax revenue from this little Halloween trick.
And for those of you who really are buying that pumpkin to eat, the state will accommodate you. Under penalty of perjury, buyers can fill out a "sales exemption certificate" and swear that they intend to eat the pumpkin.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments