PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - A proposal in Annapolis that would create an 11 percent excise tax on firearms, firearm accessories and ammunition is drawing opposition on the Eastern Shore from Worcester County Sheriff Matt Crisafulli and a Princess Anne sporting goods owner, who say the measure would hurt legal buyers and small businesses.
Senate Bill 118, sponsored by Sen. Joanne Benson, would apply the tax to certain gross receipts of federally licensed firearms dealers and direct the revenue to programs including the Maryland Violence Intervention Program, the Center for Firearm Violence Prevention, the Survivors of Homicide Victims Program and trauma care funds including Shock Trauma.
Crisafulli said he does not believe the tax would reduce gun violence because, in his view, people committing gun crimes are typically not buying firearms through legal retail channels in the first place. He said the added tax would instead fall on Marylanders who purchase guns, ammunition and accessories legally.
“Statistically speaking, nine out of ten people who commit gun violence do not purchase their firearms legally through retailers,” Crisafulli said.
He also said he is concerned about what the bill could mean for businesses on the Shore, especially with Delaware nearby. Crisafulli said he believes higher prices in Maryland could push buyers across state lines and make it harder for local firearms dealers to stay open.
At Wink’s Sporting Goods in Princess Anne, owner Jamie Wink said he expects customers to compare costs quickly if the proposal becomes law.
“You can drive in no time to Dover- and you’re not only saving the 6 percent sales tax, you’d be saving this 11, so 17 percent,” Wink said.
Wink said he worries the effect would stretch beyond one store. He said several families depend on the business for income and that money spent there circulates through the local economy. He also said reduced in-state sales could affect how much inventory small stores are able to keep on hand.
Supporters of SB 118 say the proposal is meant to create dedicated funding for violence intervention, victim support and trauma-related care. The bill’s fiscal note says the excise tax would be administered by the comptroller and would apply to in-state retail sales covered by the measure, along with certain firearm sales to Maryland residents by federally licensed dealers outside the state.
The measure was scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee on March 11 and, as of the latest status posted on the Maryland General Assembly website, remains under consideration in the Senate. A similar proposal was introduced last year but did not become law.