ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) -
Gov. Mark Dayton wants to drop the sales tax rate from 6.8 percent to 5.5. But to do it, he'll have to expand the tax onto more of the things Minnesotans buy.
A sales tax on clothing over $100 was the highlight of the list (in a state with no clothing tax), but services would also be included in the sales tax expansion: haircuts, health club memberships, auto mechanic work, etc.
Currently, Minnesota's tax rate is the 7th highest in the nation. Broadening the base while lowering the rate would generate $2 billion and drop the ranking to 27th in the country.
LIST OF ITEMS IN MINNESOTA SALES TAX EXPANSION
Source: Minnesota Department of Revenue
All existing and newly taxed items will be subject to 20 percent sales tax rate reduction to 5.5 percent
- Affiliate Nexus
- Digital Products
- Parallel Taxation of Direct Satellite Services
- Parallel Taxation of Remote Access Software
- Admission to stadium box seats and suites, exhibitions, and selling events
- Repeal exemption for ready to eat meat and seafood
- Clothing on items over $100
- Admissions/Memberships
- Over-the-counter drugs
- Personal services - e.g. barber shops, beauty salons, tattoo and body piercing, nail salons
- Other personal services - e.g. wedding planning, dating services, shoe shining, personal shopping
- Veterinary Services
- Personal instruction - e.g. dance, golf, tennis, etc.
- Brokerage & investment counseling - e.g. portfolio management, investment advice
- Bank charges & safe deposit box rental
- Legal services purchased by consumers
- Accounting services purchased by consumers
- Auto repair services
- Household goods repair & maintenance
- Warehousing & storage services (does not include storage of farm products or refrigerated storage)
- Taxicabs and Other Ground Transport Services (does not include public transportation or school transportation)
- Travel agent services
- Legal services purchased by businesses
- Accounting and bookkeeping services purchased by businesses
- Architectural and engineering services
- Specialized design services - e.g. interior decorating, industrial design services, graphic design services
- Computer services - e.g. custom computer programming, computer systems design services, computer facilities management services, data processing, hosting and related services
- Management consulting services - e.g. administrative management consulting services, human resources consulting services, marketing consulting services, environmental consulting services, scientific and technical consulting services, scientific research and development services
- Other consulting and development services - e.g. environmental, sanitation, site remediation, safety, economic, security, and other consulting services
- Advertising and related services - e.g. advertising agencies, public relations agencies, media buying agencies, media representatives, display advertising, advertising material distribution services
- Office administrative services
- Facilities support services - e.g. snow plowing, cleaning
- Employment services - e.g. temp help agencies, employment placement agencies, executive search agencies, professional employer organizations
- Business support services - e.g. telephone answering services, collection agencies, telemarketing services on contract, secretarial and court reporting services, document preparation services, private mail centers, collection agencies, credit bureaus, repossession services
- Other support services - e.g. packaging and labeling services, convention and trade show organizing
- Other misc. professional and technical services - e.g. marketing research and public opinion polling, photographic services, commercial photography, translation and interpretation services
- Electronic and commercial equipment repair & maintenance
- Personal services purchased by businesses
- Telecommunications equipment
- Court reporter documents
- Advertising materials
- Publications - e.g. newspapers, magazines, commercial printing
