Kiesling introduces New Lottery Tax
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Kiesling introduces New Lottery Tax
By Caleb Jeffers
Tennessee State Representative Kelly Kiesling
Tennessee State Representative Kelly Kiesling (R-Byrdstown) recently introduced legislation that would impose a 5% tax on lottery ticket sales in Tennessee. This legislation originated from talks led by Scott County Mayor Jerried Jeffers. Jeffers, along with other county mayors of Tennessee, believe that the bill can provide a welcomed boost to not only county revenue, but towards schools as well.
2% of the earnings from this tax would fall squarely into the hands of the Tennessee Department of Revenue, while the remainder would be split in half, going to the local schools and county/municipality in which the sale was made, respectively. As of the time of this writing, no action has been taken on the bill in the State House, and no sibling legislation exists within the State Senate.
Given that, since its inception, the lottery has earned almost 31 billion dollars in revenue, this 5% tax would prove to be relatively significant if implemented, benefitting towns, schools, and counties across the state.
When asked about the bill, Mayor Jeffers was quick to point out these benefits, stating, “It’s another revenue source to take the burden off the property owners.” Property taxes, which make up the majority of the school system’s funding, are at the heart of this issue. The bill hopes to become a good boost to schools and towns alike. Note that only the sale of lottery tickets and scratch-offs would be taxed, as Tennessee does not tax lottery winnings.
