Louisiana to Temporarily Tax Girl Scout Cookies
- Mar 31, 2016 | Gail Cole
Girl Scout Cookie Season 2016 is over, so if you haven’t yet purchased your fill of Girl Scout Cookies, you’re out of luck. But Thin Mints, Samosas, and the rest will be back next year. And in Louisiana, they’ll be subject to sales tax.
The devilishly tasty treats that leave us pining for more are officially subject to tax starting tomorrow. Louisiana’s 4% state sales tax is extended to numerous normally exempt goods and services under Act 25, which takes effect April 1, 2016. The Girl Scouts should consider themselves lucky—many other goods and services will be subject to a 5% tax due to a temporary 1% increase in the state sales tax rate.
If you have a secret source for off-season cookie sales, the tax rate is 4% from April 1 through June 30, 2016. For the period July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018, the rate drops to 2%. The zero rate returns for the period July 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019.
In the meantime, Louisianans shouldn’t feel too discouraged. At least the Louisiana tax is temporary. Cookie fans in Hawaii and Idaho have to pay tax all the time.
