IUSA proposes tax holiday to state senator

The cost of textbooks could hurt any student’s budget, but the IU Student Association’s new proposal might help alleviate the pain.

IUSA representatives met with Indiana Sen. Vi Simpson to propose that the state of Indiana institute a sales-tax-free weekend for school supplies. It would take effect near the beginning of each semester of school to help decrease the cost of common supplies.

“This is important and cost-beneficial to college students as a whole,” said Jill DeLuna, director of legislative and governmental relations for IUSA.

IUSA’s proposal for legislation states that “clothing, computers, school supplies, school art supplies and textbooks are to be exempt from the sales tax if sold between 12:01 a.m. on the last Friday of August and 11:59 p.m. the following Sunday” each fall semester.

Eighteen states, as well as the District of Columbia, have already issued a “sales tax holiday” in which the state sales tax is ignored for one weekend on certain school supplies.

“The sales tax holiday is popular with merchants because it boosts their sales,” DeLuna said.

Torrey Kittle, IUSA’s chief of policy, said with the amount of money students are spending on textbooks, the amount they are taxed could be used to buy other books.
Simpson said she supports the proposal and has offered to draft a bill.

“I would be willing to introduce the bill,” Simpson said, during the Friday meeting. “We need to research, research, research. We need to look to other states and find local supporters.”

Simpson suggested talking to representatives in other states where similar bills have been passed, teaming up with other universities in Indiana and speaking to local retailers.

“We need to take the pros and present an argument,” Simpson said. “We need to take the cons and make them positive.”

After the bill is drafted, Simpson said it would go through the lengthy process of being passed through legislation.

“Sometimes it takes a couple of years to pass legislation,” Simpson said. “We need to measure this process in small steps.”

Andrew Hahn, IUSA student body vice president for Congress, said he thinks this idea is feasible.

“Students would like to see this,” he said. “The idea passed IUSA administration – we want to make this a statewide benefit.”

With the proposal set in place, more research and the drafting of the bill are to come.
“We are willing to put a lot of time and effort into this,” DeLuna said.