H. B. 2320


(By Delegates Wright, Louisos and Webb)
[Introduced January 20, 1999; referred to the
Committee on Finance.]




A BILL to amend article fifteen, chapter eleven of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section three-a, relating to the consumers sales tax; and eliminating the sales tax on food over six years.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article fifteen, chapter eleven of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section three-a, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 15. CONSUMERS SALES TAX.

§11-15-3a. Consumers sales tax on food.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, the rate of the general consumers sales tax on food is determined by this section.
(b) Beginning on the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, the rate of the general consumer sales and service tax imposed by this article on food is five cents on the dollar of sales.
(c) Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand, the rate of the general consumer sales and service tax imposed by this article on food is four cents on the dollar of sales.
(d) Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand one, the rate of the general consumer sales and service tax imposed by this article on food is three cents on the dollar of sales.
(e) Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand two, the rate of the general consumer sales and service tax imposed by this article on food is two cents on the dollar of sales.
(f) Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand three, the rate of the general consumer sales and service tax imposed by this article on food is one cent on the dollar of sales.
(g) Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand four, the general consumer sales and service tax imposed by this article on food is removed.
(h) The provisions of this section do not remove the exemptions on the sales of food contained in section nine of this article.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to phase out the sales tax on food by one cent a year until the tax is removed.

This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.