Obama to tax Christmas trees? Nope

Your conservative friends are probably going to be sending you emails excitedly telling you that bad old Scrooge Obama is going to tax Christmas trees.  So, is that true?  Nope.  Here is the truth about this so-called “tax” as described in the Federal Register:

This rule establishes an industry-funded promotion, research, and information program for fresh cut Christmas trees. The Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order) is authorized under the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996 (1996 Act). The Order will establish a national Christmas Tree Promotion Board (Board) comprised of 11 producers and one importer. Under the Order, producers and importers of fresh cut Christmas trees will pay an initial assessment of fifteen cents per Christmas tree. Producers and importers that produce or import less than 500 Christmas trees annually will be exempt from the assessment. A referendum will be conducted, among producers and importers, three years after the collection of assessments begin to determine if Christmas tree producers and importers favor the continuation of this program.

By the way, this is something the Christmas tree industry wanted to fund advertising to combat the decline in sales of fresh/live Christmas trees (down 6% since 1965) as consumers have switched to artificial trees,  Also, the “tax” will not be passed along to the consumer.  Such programs are common.  You may remember the "Got Milk" ads.  Same kind of thing.

  

Read the lie here: http://blog.heritage.org/2011/11/08/obama-couldnt-wait-his-new-christmas-tree-tax/

Read the truth here:

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/11/tree_farmers_blast_sinister_smear_of_obamas_christmas_tree_tax.php

and here

http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2011/11/08/2011-28798/christmas-tree-promotion-research-and-information-order#h-36