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Sorry, Snooki: Indoor Tanning Tax Takes Effect
Opponents claim the new tax on indoor tanning, intended to help pay for the health-care reform law, unfairly punishes small businesses.
Posted 7/ 1 10 at 8:15 PM | News, Money, Taxes & Accounting, Legal Issues, Consumer Products & Services, Retail
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That fake bake just got a little pricier. Indoor tanning customers must now pay an extra 10 percent, thanks to a measure in the health-care reform law that took effect Thursday.The tax, which the Obama administration says will raise approximately $270 billion by 2020 and help foot the bill for health-care reform, is supported by health advocates, who claim it could decrease indoor tanning. Opponents contend that it will unfairly punish tanning salon owners -- many of them small businesses -- and do not believe there is a correlation between indoor tanning and cancer.
"I think it's ridiculous," said Richard Beauchemin, who has owned the Sun Spot tanning salon in Carson City, Nev., with his wife Leslie for two and a half years. "I don't feel that melanoma is caused by indoor tanning beds. It's caused by the sun. You spend hours in the sun. You only spend minutes in the bed."
Beauchemin, 51, said he is not sure how dramatic losses will be, but expects his business will take a hit. Right now, business is already down because of the recession.
Opponents add that the government has not properly alerted tanning salon owners about the change. The Internal Revenue Service has not issued warnings about the tax, according to Rep. David Camp (R- Mich.). Beauchemin said no government agency had contacted his business about the tax increase.
But supporters of the bill argue that it will act as tobacco taxes have -- taxing an unhealthy habit for a good cause. People younger than 35 who tan regularly are 75 percent more likely to get melanoma cancer, according to a study conducted by the World Health Organization, which recommends banning minors from indoor tanning.
The Indoor Tanning Association counters that studies about indoor tanning safety are inconsistent and contradictory. The association points to findings by the MD Anderson Cancer Center as one example that concludes UVA light, the ultraviolet light used for tanning, does not cause melanoma.
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Comments (Page 1 of 6)
How many people do you know making over $200K that go to tanning booths, and how many of those making over $200K do you know that smoke? Just two of the many Obama new taxes that affect the lower wage earners. Obama is a joke.
They can tax it 100% as far as I am concerned--to pay for melanoma chemotherapy for those stupid enough to go there. That's the reason it's tied to health care reform.
I couldn't agree with you more Gyportcharlotte!!! The deal is, so many people are to STUPID to realize that just becuase some kind of "tax" doesn't effect them directly that it wont in some way soon enough. It's just yet another foot hold the givenment is useing to control our actions and so many people are just to STUPID tor ealize it! It will get worse, no doubt about that and until more people actually see the writing that's being written on the walls day in and day out, nothing will change except for the worse! "Who cares about tanning, it doesn't effect me" you say? Maybe so but what DOES effect YOU is how YOU are allowing the government to CONTROL yet another thing us American's choose to do! Go a head and hid your head in the sand people, soon enough you'll be very pissed once you are effected and believe me, you WILL BE EFFECTED by this govenment and their "taxes" that will do NO GOOD! ALl of this and more just to make something work that was bound for failure from the beginning. Hope all you Obama sheep are loving your new government lol
I am surprised Obama lasted this long and that some nut didnt off him! This is the last time a black man will ever be president - they can't do the job!
You people scoffed when my cigarette costs tripled. Now we have a Tanning bed tax. MARK MY WORDS....AGAIN. This is just the beginning. Next it will be a Fatty Foods tax. The higher alcholhol and gasoline taxes. Then What? Higher Cable TV taxes? - because obviuosly watching tv and not exercising is unhealthy. The list goes on and on. What you sheep don't realize is that this is Government Control over legal activities that we chose to partake in. Ignorant Sheeple!!!
Keep em coming!! If you're going to tax my cigarettes into the stratosphere it's only fair you tax everything else people do that harms their body inn anyway. If all else fails tax people for living since being alive is the leading cause of death...I wanna see all the pompous anti smoking advocates squirm under the weight of taxes..
Raise 270million dollars -- what a joke. People will go to tanning businesses less and the small businesses will close and put low wage earners out of work. Typical Democrat plan.
There is a difference between cigarettes and tanning, however. Cigarettes kill others with second hand smoke. My tanning doesn't affect anyone but me. I think this is, as someone else said, a simple example of Government control.
Not long from now it will be illegal to have sex with your spouse unless it is monitored by a physician.
So true migolin, but the only way that will work and be "legal" is for said physician to be sponcered but the govenment, his earnings only made possibly not by his billing practices but rather the set wage the govenment will no doubt set for them. He/she will report back to some goven. office on how well you and your partner preformed, how you went about haivng sex and if it was legal in the eyes of a few govenment people. Of course, those same people will be having as much sex as they can get away with and sure wont be watched by anyone close to the govenment. Far fetched? It should be! Only the way our so-called government wants control, they want ALL control over everything we do...or don't do!
They plan to raise 270 billion. LMAO People will stop tanning and then where will the money come from.
no next is a Dr. tax. go to Dr. & he finds something wrong & you can't afford to get it fixed. so helthcare will take over.therefore a tax to support helth care
I have a Daughter-In-Law that went to the tanning bed 3 and 4 times every week,She was diagnosed with Cancer about 9 months ago, Man Made
Radiation the DRS said Causes Cancer,
Watching someone you love die with Cancer and you are absolutely helpless, Stay away from Tanning beds, The Sun was made by God, Tanning beds are made by man using Radiation
Here in Soviet Russia, we all look same and live in same house. We not have freedom to do what we want with our body. Here in Soviet Russia government tell us what to do. It for our own good.
Not long from now, people like your daughter will be forced by government to go through chemotherapy to "cure" the cancer.
It's a race based tax. Stand outside a salon and see who uses it.
You may have a point, there! (Race point) (Tanning Booth use)
xx
Merry
if people want to be darker they should ask their mother why she didnt sleep with black guys.
Can you imagine the outrage if a Republican president proposed a tax on "hair straightener" on the grounds that it is "not natural" and harms self esteem?