Bannock County Republicans are working to repeal the Idaho Grocery Tax. Idaho is one of just a few states that fully tax the food its citizens need to survive. The grocery tax is immoral and should be repealed.

We’ve seen what happens when the government tries to interpret morality. In California, the government has put a dollar amount on theft. If you stole less than $950 from a store, it wasn’t a crime that law enforcement had time to enforce. The Idaho Legislature has tried to tweak the grocery tax by offering tax credits, while others have tried to explain it away, saying it only affects tourists. In both cases, they have failed to rectify this immoral tax on the very food we eat.

Idaho’s tax on groceries is immoral for several reasons. Lower-income people pay a larger proportion of their income, while others actually receive more in tax credits than they pay in taxes. We’ve heard a lot about SNAP benefits lately. The government, in its wisdom, has exempted SNAP recipients from paying sales tax at the grocery store, yet they still receive an automatic tax credit at the end of the year.

While the numbers vary depending on who you talk to, in general, the state collects approximately $ 375 million in grocery sales tax each year. Through the tax credit program, about $200 million is refunded. This leaves 175 million dollars being charged on grocery sales. 

Some say tourists pay these taxes, but when we look at how they arrive at the number of tourists, it’s based on the number of motel rooms and Airbnb reservations reported. This is a faulty number for a few reasons. The main one is that in-state travel by Idaho citizens is quite prevalent. We travel around the state for business, concerts, kids’ sports, and vacations, among other things. Idaho is a large state with great places for its citizens to explore and conduct business. 

Now, think about it: when you travel for business or even for a family vacation, are you really going to the grocery store to prepare your own food? Of course not. These are the times when we splurge on restaurants. It’s the same with out-of-state tourists who supposedly pay the remaining $175 million in grocery tax the state collects. Tourists don’t come to Idaho to shop in our grocery stores. They go to our local restaurants and enjoy the services they have to offer.

So, while our state legislature and former governor failed to get rid of this immoral, repressive tax, we the people have the option to repeal it by using the ballot initiative process. Republicans across the state are out working to collect the necessary signatures to place it on the November 2026 ballot. Be on the lookout for your local Bannock County Republican Party representative.

We look forward to connecting with you soon as we gather signatures for this important ballot initiative.