A proposal to restore a tax few people thought about until the Missouri Supreme Court threw it out a year ago is ready for debate in the state senate.
The court last Spring ruled that Missourians who buy vehicles, motorcycles, RVs, and boats outside Missouri do not have to pay local sales taxes on those purchases. The revenue department estimates that ruling has cost local governments $43 million.
Vehicle and boat dealers say they’ve lost thousands of sales. Some say dealers across state lines are successfully luring business away from them, endangering job and undermine the tax base of cities and counties where voters have not approved collection of the tax.
The bill would let other counties start collecting the taxes now, but put the issue before voters next year.
Governor Nixon vetoed last year’s version of the bill because it did not require the public
AUDIO: Committee hearing vote.
