CARMEL- Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne has called on the county legislature to work with the administration by approving a permanent local sales tax exemption on all clothing and shoe purchases under $110.
The tax-relief initiative that was first enacted three years ago at Byrne’s suggestion and later approved by the nine-member county legislature, has been received with great enthusiasm by families who now shop locally or online instead of having to travel to Connecticut in order to save a few dollars.
On Wednesday, Byrne said: “When I first took office, one of my priorities was finding responsible ways to make Putnam County more affordable, and eliminating the county sales tax on essential clothes and shoes was an important part of that effort. I want to make sure that tax never comes back. I’m asking our partners in the legislature to work with us once again to provide real, lasting tax relief, and we will plan accordingly in the budget proposal I submit on October 1.”
The current exemption is set to expire next March.
Byrne called sales taxes “regressive because lower-income households generally
spend a greater share of their income on everyday necessities. Eliminating the local sales tax on clothing and footwear helps ease that burden, providing relief to working families, seniors on fixed incomes and some of Putnam County’s most financially vulnerable residents.”
The executive described the purchases of clothing and shoes “necessities not luxuries. A sales tax on necessities hits hardest those who can least afford it. Making this exemption permanent is one more way we can keep money in the pockets of the people who need it most.”
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