While Anthony Toepfer is more concerned with the entire Senate health-care plan than just the tanning tax it now includes, the tax weighs heavily on his mind. After all, he owns Naples-based Zoom Tan.
Under the Senate’s health-care bill, there would be a tax on indoor tanning equal to 10 percent of the amount paid for the tanning session.
Consumers will have to pay the tax at the time of services to tanning salons, which then will have to remit the extra tax quarterly. If tanning salons don’t collect the taxes at the time of the session, they will have to pay the additional 10 percent tax themselves.
“Democrats are so into being politically correct with regard to gender and race, but in this case they really missed it,” Toepfer said. “In Washington, everyone is lobbying for special interests and the health-care bill in general is just bad for America.”
Judy Ross, owner of Southern Exposure Tan & Boutique in Bonita Springs, said the Senate bill that adds 10 percent onto her gross annual sales will make it harder to stay afloat.
“I’ve been a small business owner for 25 years and it’s becoming difficult for people like us to earn a living,” Ross said. “The government is supposed to be all about small business and then they turn around and put this tax on us. And it’s not a small amount — this is 10 percent.”
Tanning customers aren’t happy about helping foot the bill for public healthcare.
“People who get plastic surgery or tan, who care how they look, aren’t the ones dragging the health-care system down,” tanner Kerryanne Taylor said. “I’m not out doing drugs, having 10 kids I can’t take care of or obese, and I have to pay for my own health insurance already. I’m offended that what I enjoy doing today is going to go toward someone else’s future medical expenses, and it seems like taxing healthy people to pay for unhealthy people.”
Under the Senate’s health-care bill, there would be a tax on indoor tanning equal to 10 percent of the amount paid for the tanning session.
Consumers will have to pay the tax at the time of services to tanning salons, which then will have to remit the extra tax quarterly. If tanning salons don’t collect the taxes at the time of the session, they will have to pay the additional 10 percent tax themselves.
“Democrats are so into being politically correct with regard to gender and race, but in this case they really missed it,” Toepfer said. “In Washington, everyone is lobbying for special interests and the health-care bill in general is just bad for America.”
Judy Ross, owner of Southern Exposure Tan & Boutique in Bonita Springs, said the Senate bill that adds 10 percent onto her gross annual sales will make it harder to stay afloat.
“I’ve been a small business owner for 25 years and it’s becoming difficult for people like us to earn a living,” Ross said. “The government is supposed to be all about small business and then they turn around and put this tax on us. And it’s not a small amount — this is 10 percent.”
Tanning customers aren’t happy about helping foot the bill for public healthcare.
“People who get plastic surgery or tan, who care how they look, aren’t the ones dragging the health-care system down,” tanner Kerryanne Taylor said. “I’m not out doing drugs, having 10 kids I can’t take care of or obese, and I have to pay for my own health insurance already. I’m offended that what I enjoy doing today is going to go toward someone else’s future medical expenses, and it seems like taxing healthy people to pay for unhealthy people.”