[Atlas Sneezed]

The problem here is: what is food? Is it anything “eaten?” Potato chips? Beer? Milk? Vitamins? Chewable vitamins? Dietary supplements? Chewing gum?

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My solution would be to exempt food with only one ingredient (chicken, rice, beans, potatoes, lettuce, pork chops, rolled oats, frozen peas etc.) I might cut some slack for beneficial ingredients that do not meaningfully affect the cost or nutritional content, like salt, anti-caking agent, wax coating, water, preservatives, etc.

Anyone who can afford processed/prepared/packaged foods can afford the 9% sales tax.

[SaraJohnson]

We’d need a whole new section of the IRS to monitor a sales tax code with that many loopholes. Imagine what liberals will add to the bi-partisan effort!

[FourPeas]

I’d hate to try to write that law. Imagine trying to define what sorts of additives don’t qualify as a second ingredient. If bread has both whole wheat flour and oats...what then?

I lived in a state where “non-junk food” was exempt from sales tax. Companies played games to not be classified as “junk food.” It didn’t take too long before the whole thing became ridiculous.