Study done on the impacts of the state grocery tax
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — House Minority Leader Emily Virgin led a study on the negative impacts of Oklahoma's grocery tax on needy families.
“I feel confident leaving the study that there are people on all sides of this conversation who want to see the tax end," said Minority Leader Virgin in a press release.
Currently, Oklahomans pay 4.5% at grocery stores, tied for the fourth-highest grocery tax in the country.
It may not seem like much, but over time it adds up and has an impact.
“I believe that $4.50 multiple times a month could add up to how many additional meals," said the owner of Oasis Fresh Market Aaron Johnson.
According to the US. Bureau of Labor and Statistics the average household spends $4,600 a year on groceries.
That’s about $200 a year in taxes for groceries.
It’s why some Democrats are looking into getting rid of the tax.
“Because it disproportionally hits working families there are better ways to pay for it and there are better ways to balance our budgets that on the backs of the poor," said State Rep. John Waldron, a Democrat from District 77.
During the study, Oklahoma policy institute budget and tax analyst Paul Shinn said because of the grocery tax, "Oklahomans making the least money pay significantly more in taxes as a percentage of their income than those making the most."
“Doing away with that possibly could possibly greatly benefit our community cause what would that mean for that single mom, what could that mean for that grandma that’s buying groceries," said Johnson.
We reached out to several Republican lawmakers in the state who all said they were either for getting rid of the tax or would likely be for getting rid of it once the legislation is written.
Some state Democrats plan to introduce the legislation in the next session.