NYC Panel Mulls Tax on Cosmetic Surgery

aol ^ | 2 13 04 | aolnews

[freepatriot32]

NEW YORK (Feb. 13) - A tummy tuck may someday make a cosmetic surgery patient's wallet thinner, too, if a New York City tax panel has its way.

Imposing sales tax on Botox treatments, breast surgery and other cosmetic procedures could bring in $62 million in revenue for the city, according to the Independent Budget Office.

The suggestion was among nearly 70 options included in a report released by the publicly funded, nonpartisan agency on Thursday.

"The business of cosmetic enhancements, including both surgical and nonsurgical procedures, is one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States," the report said, adding that the number of procedures more than quadrupled between 1997 and 2001.

Cosmetic procedures such as collagen injections and laser treatments are not subject to sales tax now because they are considered medical procedures, the agency said.

Another suggestion in the report was a "latte tax" similar to the 10-cent tax on coffee drinks that Seattle voters recently rejected. The agency said such a tax could bring in $12 million a year in New York.

Other tax or cost-cutting options included restoring the commuter tax, reinstating fares on the Staten Island ferry, eliminating transportation for private school students and reducing the number of paid holidays for city workers.

The office of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg was not impressed by the proposals, spokesman Jordan Barowitz told The New York Times.

"Where's the plan to buy 50,000 lottery tickets?" he asked.

On the Net:

http://www.ibo.nyc.ny.us

[freepatriot32]

hmm I geuss it the thought nevr entered there minds that if you are rich enough to get elective vanity cosmitic surgury that you might just possibly be rich enough to pay the tolls in the tunnel to go to new jersey to get your butt fat sucked out leaving the city coffers with a wopping total of zero from this new tax.

WTF is wrong with NY politicians do they have to get a lobotomy before legally taking office or what?

[FormerACLUmember]

Yeah tax everything. Will the last working person to leave NY please turn off the lights?

[SAJ]

And why do I expect that **every** cosmetic surgeon in NYC will retain offices in the city for consulting purposes only, with the actual procedure to be performed in NJ or CT.

The cretinous and corrupt clowns of the Council ride again. Bah!

[NativeNewYorker]

The guys who draw up these idiot notions are, uh, CoreDemocrats(tm), who went to NYC public skoolz, live in the 'hood, and will never draw a paycheck from the private sector.

OBVIOUSLY, there'd be a mini-property boom in Jersey City, as all the plastic surgeons set up offices there.

[evolved_rage]

Will the last working person to leave NY please turn off the lights?

That would be a government employee. They'll leave the lights on, the water running, and the printer on. The PC will be off because they'll steal that.

[erinjohn]

Exactly My thought as soon as I heard about this a few days ago. Doctors will leave town or setup office right across the river or just outside of the city.

Politicians = Morons = the people that elect them

[KarlInOhio]

Other tax or cost-cutting options included restoring the commuter tax...

What is the "commuter tax"? I only hear it in relation to New York City. Is it an extra income tax charged to workers in the city who live outside?

[xrp]

Something like this is being mulled in Atlanta, Georgia. The city officials there want to impose a 1% tax on car dealerships inside the city limits, so any car sold from these dealerships would have the tax applied. Neal Boortz commented that it is easy for an individual to drive 3-4 miles out of their way to go across the city limit and buy a car there, saving $200 or more.

[tracer]

This mental masterpiece will become yet the latest victim of the "Americans With Disabilities Act."

It is discriminatory on its face (no pun intended, of course).....

[proxy_user]

Yes, it was a New York City income tax for non-residents. Rate was .45%, compared to 4.65% for city residents.

[FormerACLUmember]

The plastic surgeons are ALREADY doing a lot of their procedures out of NY.

Why? No 4% New York City income tax for the dubious priviledge of working in NY! Oh and that's ON TOP OF federal income tax and the massive New York STATE income tax, the worst tax situation in the USA.

[southernnorthcarolina]

Make it a Federal tax. Nancy Pelosi could've balanced the budget by herself.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

In related news, Michael Jackson has put his multi-million dollar Park Avenue apartment up for sale.

[mvpel]

Something like this is being mulled in Atlanta, Georgia. The city officials there want to impose a 1% tax on car dealerships inside the city limits, so any car sold from these dealerships would have the tax applied. Neal Boortz commented that it is easy for an individual to drive 3-4 miles out of their way to go across the city limit and buy a car there, saving $200 or more.

We did that with the Honda Pilot we just bought, only we drove 3-4,000 miles from California to New Hampshire, and saved $2,850 in sales tax. We live here now too, for that matter.

[KarlInOhio]

Thanks, that's why I could never figure it out. In Ohio, the city where the work is done gets the first cut and city of residence gets any leftover from a higher rate. I pay 1.5% where I work and 0.25% where I live because my local rate is 1.75%.

[John Beresford Tipton]

Jocelyne can balance the budget, any budget.

[lelio]

Another suggestion in the report was a "latte tax" similar to the 10-cent tax on coffee drinks that Seattle voters recently rejected.

A major problem (as if taxing everything isn't a problem in itself) is that the tax was in no way related to pre-kindergarten, or some sort of early day care, schooling that it was to support.

[Nick Danger]

the thought nevr entered there minds that if you are rich enough to get elective vanity cosmitic surgury that you might just possibly be rich enough to pay the tolls in the tunnel to go to new jersey

That seems to be a general failing in the mental processes of people who went to law school. It's as if the concept of people altering their behavior in response to incentives totally escapes them. They put little fences around what people are doing now, and then act all surprised when people respond by climbing over the fences or going around them.

Everybody but the lawyers predicted that McCain-Feingold would result in new and exciting ways to funnel money to candidates. But they passed the thing anyway. Now the average Joe is limited in what he can do, but George Soros can donate millions. I'll bet most lawyers in the legislature never saw that coming. And these lawyers in New York will be astounded when the plastic surgeons all move their practice to New Jersey or Connecticut.

[Glenn]

"Where's the plan to buy 50,000 lottery tickets?" he asked.

Someone needs to slap Bloomie. He's way too full of himself.

[AF68]

At least Michael Moore's wallet is safe until NYC decides to tax grungy, putrid, corpulent porkers.