Why Was a 2.3% ‘Medical Excise Tax’ Showing Up on Receipts from Sporting Goods Giant Cabela’s?

The Blaze ^ | January 4, 2013 | Mike Opelka

[yoe]

January 1, 2013 brought a host of new taxes, fees, and charges to the American people. Some of them were anticipated. Others, like the (Medical Device Excise Tax) (MDET), were not — at least not in this way.

How so? Well, the MDET has started showing up on the receipts for purchases made at sporting goods giant Cabela’s. This receipt from one such store in Texas is making the rounds on the web. It shows an additional tax has been added to the purchase, after the local sales tax of nearly 10% was charged.

[snip] What is a Medical Excise Tax? Which devices will be affected by it?

TheBlaze asked the people responsible for collecting the tax — the (Internal Revenue Service) (IRS). There is much information about this new tax on the IRS website. Let’s start with the obvious question, “What is it?”

"Section 4191 of the Internal Revenue Code imposes an excise tax on the sale of certain medical devices by the manufacturer or importer of the device."

[yoe]

It will pay to check your receipts for the next year as the Obamacare pork rises to the top - a non health care bill is mostly a TAX as Justice Roberts said....OBAMACARE IS A TAX!. Anytime some weird or out of place "excise" tax pops up on a receipte....(the Algore excise tax is still on AT&T Bills)....ask what it is for and maybe get a reimbursement.

[blueunicorn6]

You mean.....you mean......the customers end up paying the tax? It doesn’t come out of Obama’s stash? Cruel, cruel world.

[lonevoice]

ping

[FlyingEagle]

We have to pass the bill to find out what’s in it.

That excise tax also applies when you sell a house, or any financial security.

This is in addition to the Obamacare payroll tax 3.2%.

[soycd]

It is a good thing for sales receipts to itemize all the government extortion charges. More retailers should help make it much more obvious to consumers where their money is going.

[SparkyBass]

The company for which I work anticipated it. In fact they (we) lobbied against it much of last year.

The estimate is that it will hit us to the tune of 40 million dollars. That’s either a lot of streamlining (”lean” processes) or layoffs.

dividends cannot be affected, so we are on pins & needles.
Well done, Congress.

[sickoflibs]

From link: “Some tax experts say that adding the word “generally” may allow for the manufacturers and importers to pass that same 2.3% tax on to consumers through elevated prices at the retail level. At least one source at a major American manufacturer — who asked to remain anonymous because they’re not authorized to speak publicly on the matter — said the company will be forced to increase prices.
“If our profit margin is 4%, and we’re hit with an added 2.3% charge by this tax, more than half of our profit is instantly gone,” the company source said.”

This a good thing if they can charge it directly on receipts, then it is visible and not hidden. Otherwise prices go up and it looks like the seller is just trying to make more $$$.

[MomofMarine]

But since it only affects millionaires and billionaires, it doesn’t matter, right? (I can’t wait for the uninformed electorate to finally wake up.)

Yesterday it occurred to me that if they get mad about the new payroll tax, then see all these other taxes and the cost of everything going up, maybe they will turn on him. It won’t get rid of him, BUT, if they’re vocal enough, maybe it will keep him from passing anything else AND influence the 2014 election. (I’m looking for a silver lining.)

[Gasshog]

If I see this tax on a receipt I will just put the item back and not buy it. Everyone should do this unless they need the product for health or safety reasons.

[Gaffer]

I went to the Cabela’s website and searched “medical tax in stores”

Here’s the result:

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&N=0&fsch=true&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=medical+tax+in+stores&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

My guess is that any product that specifically has ‘medical’ in its name is hit for this tax. Unfrigging real.....

[BuckeyeTexan]

So, in the end, it was a computer glitch. You can get it refunded from Cabela’s.

Um, ok.

[BuckeyeTexan]

Nope. It was a computer glitch. Cabela’s will refund the money.

[TexasRepublic]

Starve the beast in 2013!

[Gaffer]

Good to hear but I didn’t see this in the story.

[staytrue]

I’m wondering if an ace bandage counts as a “medical device” or a training device to prevent tennis elbow.

I wonder if special shoes to prevent shin splints are medical devices.

Maybe high top basketball shoes (prevents ankle sprains) are “medical devices”.

Maybe running shoes (running is good for preventing heart attacks) are “medical devices”. Ditto for swimming suits. Come to think of it, any athletic device is good for health and maybe a “medical device”.

[staytrue]

Maybe “the salad bar” is a medical device, or “fat free food” is a medical device.

Maybe automobile catalytic converters (helps asthma patients) are medical devices.

Fruits and vegetables could be medical devices (aids with bowel movements) along with vitamins.

Temperpedic beds along with Posturepedic beds, memory foam pillows might be medical devices (promotes good sleep).

I guess seat belts and air bags are on the medical device list (prevents injury in auto crash).

Homedics massagers are probably on the list too.

Dr. Schoals foot implants ditto.

Maybe alarm systems, mace, and small handguns are medical devices (helps prevent rape).

You know maybe we can balance the budget with the medical device tax afterall.

[reaganaut]

I believe this is a scam. I shopped at Cabela’s yesterday and there was no such ‘tax’ on my receipt, nor anyone else I know who has bought from Cabaela’s since the first of the year at several of their stores.

[GeronL]

I wish there was a way of putting the actual amount of corporate tax a product has in its price on the label.

[Gilbo_3]

foolish fr a business to not itemize the taxes on the customers receipts...

i still dont understand why gas stations dont post it on the pump...

[reformed_dem]

i still dont understand why gas stations dont post it on the pump...

I've seen it posted on many gas pumps in California.