When Baxter County voters went to the polls in September 2017 in a special election to consider three sales tax initiatives, the outcome was crystal clear–they overwhelmingly approved all the measures.However, the collection schedule for the three has been less clear for merchants and their customers.Baxter County Treasurer Jenay Mize says she has learned some merchants are continuing to collect the six-month one cent sales tax that ended Sunday for the expansion of the Baxter County Detention Center.
In the 2017 special election, voters in Mountain Home approved a 3/8 percent sales and use tax to benefit the city’s fire and police departments. Collections for this ongoing tax began Jan. 1st.
At the same time, voters countywide said yes to levying a one cent sales and use tax to expand the Baxter County Detention Center. Collections of the one cent tax were for six months, from April 1st through Sept. 30th, 2018.
Simultaneously, voters approved a one-quarter cent sales and use tax for the operation and maintenance of the jail. Collection of the ongoing one-quarter cent tax will begin Jan. 1st, 2019.
Mize suggests if shoppers see the one cent sales and use tax is still being collected to politely advise the merchant this ended Sunday.
For merchants with questions about the tax collection schedule, she suggests they contact the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, the state agency with jurisdiction in this matter.
Mize says the changes in the sales tax collections are unusual. Generally, the sales tax rates remain unchanged over long periods of time.
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