The Second Amendment community is accustomed to withstanding the slings and arrows that gun rights opponents frequently hurl at them. When uber-popular modern sporting rifles are smeared as “weapons of war,” the intent is obvious.
Another recent trend among certain states is to impose a “sin tax” on firearms and ammunition, as if practicing armed self-defense were akin to alcohol, tobacco, and gambling.
Now, a move is afoot in Congress to head off these egregious impositions on law-abiding citizens.
Bill seeks to eliminate excise taxes imposed by anti-2A lawmakers
The Freedom From Unfair Gun Taxes Act is exactly what it announces. The proposal would continue to allow states to regulate firearms within the framework of the Second Amendment and established law.
However, they may not impose punitive taxes on those who exercise their gun rights.
Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) introduced the measure in the upper chamber, and Reps. Darrel Issa (R-CA) and Richard Hudson (R-NC) submitted the companion bill in the House of Representatives.
Gun rights advocates realize the importance of this timely legislation
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the industry trade group, quickly recognized the value of the bill. Organization Senior Vice President and General Counsel Larry Keane wrote on the NSSF website that it is time for lawmakers to end punitive taxes on Second Amendment-related activities.
“A growing number of state politicians are testing a new way to burden the lawful exercise of the Second Amendment by imposing targeted excise taxes on firearms, firearm parts, and ammunition and routing the proceeds to ‘gun violence prevention’ or taxpayer-funded gun control programs,” Keane wrote.
The 2A advocate noted that California already has an 11% excise tax on the books, and Colorado recently enacted a 6.5% tax on top of what is already levied on lawful gun buyers.
And there’s more on the way.
Five states, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, and Washington, have introduced schemes to increase taxes on these items to discourage the free exercise of constitutional rights.
Understand, these taxes will never trickle down to violent criminals who do not submit to background checks and jump through whatever hoops are in place. Instead, the burden will be borne by upstanding citizens, left with no choice but to shell out more of their hard-earned money to defend themselves and their loved ones.
Keane blasted the practice of punishing the weapons industry and its clients for criminal activities committed by third parties.
“These proposals are often marketed as a way to make the ‘gun industry’ pay for ‘public safety’ measures, i.e., criminal misuse of firearms,” Keane noted. In practice, they single out a constitutionally protected activity by a law-abiding American for a special financial penalty. The revenue is then earmarked for advocacy and programs that treat lawful gun ownership as a problem to be reduced rather than a right to be protected.”
Exactly.
Anti-gunners in 2026 want nothing more than to relegate the firearm industry to some neon-infused back-alley enterprise that people will be ashamed of. These taxes are just a way to assign guilt to anyone except the guilty party.
In their minds, the industry is responsible for violent crime and therefore should foot the bill that criminals run up.
No one is arguing against taxation. It is a necessary part of modern life to enable citizens to enjoy the fruits of society.
It should not be, however, a bludgeon used to punish good people who exercise their right to keep and bear arms. Such taxes on speech or religion are unthinkable, and they have no place infringing on the freedoms of law-abiding citizens.
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