{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr5103-115/featured_gun-violence-prevention-and-safe-communities-act-of-2018-1522090146.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr5103-115/featured_large_gun-violence-prevention-and-safe-communities-act-of-2018-1522090146.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr5103-115.png"},"introduced_on":"2018-02-27","title_override":"Should Taxes on Guns & Ammunition be Increased?","summary_override":"

This bill would increase the federal excise taxes on guns to 20 percent and ammunition to 50 percent. Revenues from the increased excise tax would be allocated to law enforcement and public safety grant programs, including programs for research on gun violence and its prevention. In effect, this would roughly double the tax on firearms and quintuple the ammunition tax.

The bill would also:

Increase the occupational tax on importers, manufacturers, and dealers in firearms and the transfer tax on firearms;
Modify the definition of “firearm” for excise tax purposes to include a semi-automatic pistol chambered for cartridges and configured with receivers commonly associated with rifles and capable of accepting detachable magazines.

","official_title":"To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the excise tax and special occupational tax in respect of firearms and to increase the transfer tax on any other weapon, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Gun Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act of 2018","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Gun Violence Prevention and Safe Communities Act of 2018\n\nThis bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the excise tax on the sale of firearms by manufacturers, producers, or importers, to: (1) increase the rate of such tax to 20% on pistols, revolvers, and other firearms and on any lower frame or receiver for a firearm; and (2) impose a 50% tax on shells and cartridges. The bill exempts any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States from such tax.\n\nThe bill allocates revenues from the increased excise tax under this bill for law enforcement and public safety grant programs, including programs for research on gun violence and its prevention.\n\nThe bill: (1) increases the occupational tax on importers, manufacturers, and dealers in firearms and the transfer tax on firearms; and (2) modifies the definition of \"firearm\" for excise tax purposes to include a semiautomatic pistol chambered for cartridges and configured with receivers commonly associated with rifl...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"People who buy guns and ammunition; and the federal government.","argument_for":"It should be more expensive to buy guns and ammunition so fewer can afford to buy and use firearms. 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Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/taxes/black_taxes-1429042039.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/taxes/grey_taxes-1429042039.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/taxes/white_taxes-1429042039.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"PatrikiaJ","vote_count":883,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/10204093222838874/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/10204093222838874/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/10204093222838874/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/10204093222838874/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/8Zk3LBzZ/following","followers":"/api/users/8Zk3LBzZ/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":"Facebook","youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":"Google","website":null,"slug":"patrikiaj","issue_count":87,"is_following":null,"influence_score":10,"influence_level":10,"follower_count":0,"following_count":3,"position_count":6,"id":"8Zk3LBzZ","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"225ec339-4101-4ee7-8e73-146db1cff454","argument_for":"Just like other sin taxes...booze, cigarettes...make it harder to purchase...and return the money to education, training in the safe use of firearms...after banning all assault-type weapons and large magazines from private use.","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":0,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/225ec339-4101-4ee7-8e73-146db1cff454"},"body":"Just like other sin taxes...booze, cigarettes...make it harder to purchase...and return the money to education, training in the safe use of firearms...after banning all assault-type weapons and large magazines from private use.","stance":"yea","created_at":"2018-03-26T21:04:53.582Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/225ec339-4101-4ee7-8e73-146db1cff454.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr5103-115","user_id":"8Zk3LBzZ","endorser_ids":[]}}

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Should Taxes on Guns & Ammunition be Increased?