CALCULATING A SALES TAX INCREASE
By Samantha Latora
Since December the Monmouth City Council has been discussing a proposal to increase the sales tax by one percent from 7.25% to 8.25%. But what does that mean to the everyday consumer?
The increase for everyday items such as toothpaste, toilet paper, or razors is very small, but on larger items such as a television , a camera, or a coffee pot, the difference increases the total price of the item after tax substantially.
After visiting Monmouth’s own Shopko and County Market I have compiled a list of items and determined their price pretax, the price after tax if the tax remains the same as it is now at 7.25%, and finally what the price after tax would be if the proposed increase of one percent to 8.25% goes through.
| Item | Price Pretax | Price after tax at 7.25% | Price after tax at 8.25% |
| 1 lb of hamburger | $3.49 | $3.74 | $3.77 |
| Gallon of milk | $3.39 | $3.64 | $3.67 |
| Angel Soft toilet paper (12 pack) | $6.79 | $7.28 | $7.35 |
| Tylenol Extra Strength (100 caplets) | $11.18 | $11.99 | $12.10 |
| Northcrest bath towel | $10.99 | $11.79 | $11.90 |
| 30 gallon plastic bin | $19.99 | $21.44 | $21.64 |
| Crest toothpaste | $4.49 | $4.82 | $4.86 |
| Mr. Coffee coffee pot | $39.99 | $42.89 | $43.29 |
| 3 pack of Venus razors | $7.99 | $8.57 | $8.64 |
| 10 piece cookware set | $219.99 | $235.94 | $238.14 |
| Vtech cordless phone | $79.99 | $85.79 | $86.59 |
| Kodak digital camera | $99.99 | $107.24 | $108.24 |
| Sony 32” LCD TV | $699.99 | $750.74 | $757.74 |
The difference after the one percent increase is surprisingly small, unless of course you are shopping for a 32” LCD television.
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