Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and other Senate Republicans recently introduced legislation that would eliminate the transfer tax on firearms regulated by the National Firearms Act (NFA).
The bill, called the Illegal Freedom and Liberty Excise Elimination Act (RIFLE) Act, was announced on Wednesday. According to a press statement issued by Cotton, the legislation “will eliminate onerous taxes on firearms regulated under the National Firearms Act.”
The press release explains that the NFA has been taxing the transfer of short-barreled shotguns, rifles, and fully automatic firearms since 1934. This tax has been $200 since 1934, which is equivalent to nearly $4,700 in 2024 dollars.
Specifically, the bill would eliminate Section 5811 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, effectively eliminating the transfer tax on all firearms regulated by the NFA.
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Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) recently introduced a bill that would eliminate taxes on certain firearms. (Getty Images)
“The Rifle Act does not change current testing and registration, but simply removes a federally mandated financial burden on law-abiding gun owners,” the press release adds.
Oliver Kraczyk, an attorney with the Ambler Law Firm, said in an interview on Fox News Digital Wednesday that the current tax on firearms is “indistinguishable from a poll tax.” The Second Amendment lawyer said the bill is “a step in the right direction.”
“This completely undermines the constitutional basis of the NFA, since it purports to be an exercise of Congress’ enumerated taxing powers,” Krawczyk added. “But the founders would have scoffed at the idea that possessing a short-barreled rifle or shotgun could be a felony in the first place.”
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A group of Republicans recently introduced a bill that would eliminate transfer taxes on firearms regulated by the National Firearms Act (NFA). (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
The bill is supported by other senators, including Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn. John Cornyn, Republican of Texas. and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida. Rick Scott, Republican of Florida. John Barrasso, Republican, Wyoming. Iowa Representative Ashley Hinson has introduced a companion bill in the House.
“The federal government should not erect financial barriers to the unalienable rights of Americans,” Hinson said. “This unconstitutional tax on certain firearm purchases is a direct violation of the Second Amendment and should be repealed. There must be,” he said. “I will continue to defend Iowans’ right to keep and bear arms as the Biden administration and Democrats advance proposals that unfairly target law-abiding gun owners.”
Cotton said in a statement that the current firearms transfer tax is “unnecessary.”
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The tax has been $200 since 1934, which translates to nearly $4,700 in 2024 dollars. (Getty Images)
“Law-abiding Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights should not be subject to unnecessary taxes or restrictions that prevent them from doing so,” Cotton said. “The National Firearms Act of 1934 needs to be revised. Our law will eliminate red tape that imposes an unreasonable financial burden on would-be gun owners.”
