Biden's Gun Control Plan Targets Everyday Americans with Billions in Taxes
Taxpaying citizens could be hit hardest with a massive $34B tax burden
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Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden’s proposed gun control plan could cost everyday Americans tens of billions of dollars in taxes, according to reports.
The proposal would hit gun owners hard with massive taxes for firearms and accessories they already own, The Washington Free Beacon reported.
After pouring over Biden’s gun plans in addition to information on firearms already on the market, the Beacon concludes that owning guns could become very expensive, even if the guns are perfectly legal, for now.
Biden would need to first win the still-contested presidential election, however.
The Beacon's Stephen Gutowski concludes that, if Biden is successful in taking office and implementing his gun proposals, a tax bill of over $34 billion could land in the lap of law-abiding gun owners.
Specifically targeted for the taxes are American citizens who own popular sporting guns such as the AR-15.
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Taxes would apply both to the rifles and magazines that hold more than 10 rounds by way of a $200 tax stamp per item, according to Western Journal.
“At least 20 million rifles and 150 million ammunition magazines would be caught up in the sales ban and registration scheme Biden touted on the campaign trail,” Gutowski added.
Citing a report from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Gutowski came up with the estimated price tag on already-owned hardware.
Per the report, there are an estimated 20 million sporting rifles — often misbranded as “assault rifles” — in civilian hands, and it’s not exactly clear how many high-capacity magazines are out there.
The 150 million number for magazines is an estimate.
In that vein, there is a bit of a silver lining, especially for those of us who enjoy sporting rifles and high-capacity magazines.
NSSF spokesman Mark Oliva told The Free Beacon that the sheer number of such firearms and accessories on the market could signal to gun-grabbing Democrats that Americans are firm on their support for gun rights.
“I think if [Biden and his team] were smart, they would look at those numbers and get an idea of where America stands on gun ownership and gun rights,” Oliva said.
On his campaign website, the former vice president proposes ending easy access to "assault weapons and high-capacity magazines" by banning their manufacture and sale and "regulat[ing] possession of existing assault weapons under the National Firearms Act."
That regulatory law already affects the possession of machine guns, silencers, and short-barreled rifles, which owners are required to register with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The law also includes a $200 tax, according to The Blaze.
If the existing law were to be applied to the 170 million modern sporting rifles and ammunition magazines as Biden proposes, that $200 tax on each unit would amount to $34 billion.
While it should be noted that Biden has not explicitly called for a new tax on firearms, his proposed plan implicitly results in a new tax unless something in the law were to be changed.
Under the plan, Biden gives "individuals who now possess assault weapons or high-capacity magazines two options: Sell the weapons to the government, or register them under the National Firearms Act."
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So, in essence, those gun owners who choose to keep their weapons would be forced to register them with the ATF and pay the $200 tax.
In a fact-check of a similar claim made earlier this month, PolitiFact acknowledged as much, though it concluded that "it's not certain that Biden's proposal would automatically trigger a $200 tax" as some of the plan's details have yet to be ironed out.
It just so happens that the news comes alongside a Gallup survey showing support for stricter gun laws has fallen to its lowest levels since 2016.
Perhaps public opinion would sway Biden away from his campaign position, but don't hold your breath.
