Community Chat

[cherry]

Seattle has launched a huge tax on soda.   It  might stop people from drinking pop, more than likely they will just buy it elsewhere.

On January 1, Seattle had several new progressive laws go into effect. Along with mandatory paid sick leave, mandates for employers to post work schedules 14 days in advance, and severe restrictions on short-term rental platforms (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.), Seattle imposed a massive new soda tax — 1.75 cents per OUNCE on sugary drinks.

[CrazyDaisy]

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@cherry wrote:

Seattle has launched a huge tax on soda.   It  might stop people from drinking pop, more than likely they will just buy it elsewhere.

On January 1, Seattle had several new progressive laws go into effect. Along with mandatory paid sick leave, mandates for employers to post work schedules 14 days in advance, and severe restrictions on short-term rental platforms (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.), Seattle imposed a massive new soda tax — 1.75 cents per OUNCE on sugary drinks.

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Think I would open a small shop just outside of Seattle city limits and stock sugary drinks and snacks.  Will make a fortune.

[cherry]

I wonder if they are taxing diet soda as well? 

[nyc1]

Chicago had a tax on sugary drinks last year for a few weeks.  People screamed so loudly and protested, that they reversed it.  

[Nightowlz]

I don't agree with this at all. Next there will be a tax on candy, cookies, cakes, pies or anything else that has sugar in it. What will be next??? Mind your own business is all I can say. People are going to eat, drink, smoke & be Merry no matter where they have to go buy it.

Maybe they should tax or fine the Pop industry instead so they will change their ingredients.

[cherry]

They already have a huge sin tax on tobacco

[CrazyDaisy]

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@cherry wrote:

I wonder if they are taxing diet soda as well? 

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Didn't mention diet drinks but does include: Juice drinks, Sports and Energy drinks, Flavored waters, Sweetened teas and ready to drink coffee beverages.

[ValuSkr]

Philadelphia instituted a soda tax as of 1/1/17.  It's 1.5 cents per ounce  and also covers other sugary drinks.  It was controversial and claims were made that it would lead to job loss.  The tax is actually levied on distributors, but it was expected to be passed along to retailers and then consumers.  Was it controversial in Seattle?  1.75 cents per ounce equals $0.21 for a 12 oz can and $1.18 for a two-liter bottle.  (Hope I did the math right.)

[JeanLouiseFinch]

The City of Chicago did this last year.  To conceptualize the actual cost of purchase, their sweetened beverage tax nearly doubled the cost of a 2 liter bottle of pop.  There were problems with certain points of purchase and their inaccuracies of what products they were charging the tax.  The public was also outraged with the tax.  The tax law ended up being rescinded.

[cherry]

The tax adds up pretty fast. I think a case of Coke was taxed about $10