Bill seeks to give tax relief to Arizonans at grocery store

Audio By Carbonatix

(The Center Square) - A new bill seeks to provide tax relief for Arizonans at the grocery store.

State Rep. Leo Biasiucci, R-Kingman, this week introduced House Bill 2839, which would eliminate sales taxes on grocery items that are eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Women, Infants and Children program.

In Arizona, people enrolled in SNAP or WIC do not pay taxes on certain grocery items.

HB 2839, which has bipartisan support, would allow Arizonans who don’t qualify for these government assistance programs to also receive the same tax advantages.

Items that are tax-free for people on SNAP and WIC include dairy products, fruits, vegetables, meats and breads.  

Biasiucci told The Center Square that providing tax relief for essential groceries is “the right thing to do.”

“I don’t think it is right that we are taxing something that is an absolute necessity,” said Biasiucci, who introduced HB 2839 on Tuesday.

Biasiucci said there is nothing worse than a food tax because it is something that “people need to survive.”

Over the last “couple of years,” he has been working to remove taxes on essential groceries, the legislator noted.  

The bill is a win for Arizona families, he stated.

Biasiucci said HB 2839 could help Arizona families save hundreds of dollars yearly.

According to the state representative, around 70 towns and cities in Arizona have some type of food tax. He said he has heard from communities around Arizona regarding this issue.

HB 2839 would prevent Arizona cities and towns from implementing taxes on SNAP- and WIC-eligible food items.

The state representative is unsure of how Gov. Katie Hobbs would react to this bill if it reaches her desk. He noted the Democratic governor discussed lowering taxes on middle-class Arizonans during her State of the State address.

“I hope she would support this because we’re talking about items that are deemed essential that every family needs," Biasiucci said. "I would hope she sees this as a positive."