SB 1264- Relating to Sales Tax Exemptions for Agricultural Equipment
On Monday, February 8th, SB 1264, relating to Sales Tax Exemptions for Agricultural Equipment by Senator Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby) was heard in Senate Finance and Tax Committee  and passed by a vote of 8 yeas to 0 nays. AIF’s Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs, Brewster Bevis, stood in support of this bill.

SB 1264 increases the maximum sales price of farm trailers that are exempt from the sales and use tax from $20,000 to $25,000. This bill also expands the sales and use tax exemption for certain farm equipment to include:

• Hog wire and nylon mesh netting used on a farm for protection from predatory or destructive animals.
• Barbed wire fencing, including gates and materials used to construct or repair such fencing, used on a beef or dairy cattle farm.
• Compressed or liquefied oxygen used in aquaculture production 

The next committee stop for SB 1264 will be in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

AIF supports the removal of sales tax on the purchase and repair of agricultural processing and packaging machinery, as well as the expansion of sales tax exemptions on items used in the production of agricultural products including fence materials, trailers and other items integral to the farm operation.