Seattle Tried a Gun Tax. It Didn’t Work
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Lawmakers in Seattle expected the city’s relatively new tax on firearms and ammunition to generate enough revenue to support gun violence research. But that wasn’t the case.
More than a year after the tax on firearms and ammunition went into effect on Jan. 1, 2016, a city council member told the Seattle Times the tax raised less than $200,000 for the city. It was expected to raise $300,000 to $500,000. The revenue from the tax will be used to help fund gun violence research at Harborview Medical Center at the University of Washington, the Times reports.
The city receives a $25 tax on every gun sold in Seattle.
