Pumpkin Tax
By Dr. Ann
@drannhh (15219)
United States
November 1, 2007 1:44am CST
I can usually work at the computer without paying any attention to hubby's TV, but I just heard something that brought me to attention. Iowa has decided that pumpkins are decorations and not food. I've got to tell you, that made me mad, especially to hear on my favorite holiday, today, Halloween! My pumpkin is food! I used to think Iowa was a pretty kewl state. Now I am glad to be far from there.
Sure, my pumpkin is pretty, but I intend to cook and eat it. I even save and eat the seeds! What will they tax next? Apparently shoppers will be allowed to fill out a form declaring that the pumpkin they are buying is for consumption and not just for partying, but I don't think that pumpkin-eaters should be singled out for different treatment. I love pumpkin and do not just eat it at Halloween and Thanksgiving. I like to eat pumpkin all year round if I can get it.
What do you think of the pumpkin tax? Do you know of any other foods like this where people have to fill out a form to keep it nontaxable?
6 people like this
10 responses
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
1 Nov 07
I think that makes the people who are making the rules in Iowa look pretty stupid if you ask me, it is just so petty it seems they don't have important and more serious things to think about, if any of your councillors or who ever are posters in here...one raspberry to you all the way from australia.
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
1 Nov 07
Fancy taking the time to even put this up for just a one day event...its things like that, that they should lose their seats a bit of humbug there I think...
1 person likes this
@aaidjs (1149)
• Croatia (Hrvatska)
3 Nov 07
Hello Dear Friend,I never prepared or eat a pumpkin!In our country we have some sort of pumpkins but only for animal food/that is different kind/,and some with nice colours for decoration!!I don't know anything about tax in your country but here we pay tax on all food except milk and bread!This Days all members talk about pumpkin pie!!i would like to try one!!Happy Halloween to all who celebrate that day!!Silvana
1 person likes this
@aaidjs (1149)
• Croatia (Hrvatska)
3 Nov 07
Hello!!You finding interesting words for showing me how I eat pumpkins pie!!For baklava I can tell you that I prepare a very nice baklava!!When I was living in US I was much younger and when I saw people eat pumpkin that was so disgusting for me !!Now I am older and much more clever/I hope/and I will be happy to try some pumpkin pie!!Warm Regards SIlvana
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
3 Nov 07
Never ate pumpkin pie? Oh my, oh my! That would be like never having eaten baklava. Drool. Well, you eat your pumpkin recycled! From the meat from the animals you feed?
I think the commercially made pumpkin pies are too sweet, so I make mine with much less sugar. But we love pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie and pumpkin puddings and breads and even cookies. Here there is no tax on food except for luxury foods or stimulants such as spirits, which I do not consider food anyway. The point is that if items like squash are not taxed, pumpkins should not be either. It would be like taxing spinach but not lettuce or grapes but not pears. Mmmmm. I am thinking how good a pumpkin custard would be wrapped in phylo dough.
1 person likes this
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
1 Nov 07
I have never heard that a pumpkin is not a food. I think Iowa has a fruitcake in there passing laws. I've heard and seen ppl that carve watermelons, eggshells, and ice for art (sculptures) so I guess they are no longer foods either. Oh and chocolate and cheese sculptures too.
"COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS"
**AT PEACE WITHIN**
~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
1 Nov 07
Now with all respect, fruitcake is probably a decoration, lol. There are so many jokes about annual gifts of fruitcake that even though many people surely must regard that confection as a delicious treat, probably nobody would be dumb enough to attract attention by putting a special tax on it. On the other hand one would have thought they would have had enough sense not to mess with pumpkins either!
1 person likes this
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
2 Nov 07
Oh my... i don't believe that there would be such a thing as pumpkin tax... i know that the government can put a tax on everything but this is utterly stupid...i am not particularly fond of eating pumpking... but this type of tax can be a springboard to putting a tax to more and more things that people love to use during the holidays...
What's next... easter egg tax?
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
2 Nov 07
I can hear it now:
Checker: "Ma'am, are you going to eat this egg or pin ears on it?"
Me: "It's an egg, not a donkey!"
Checker: "No, Ma'am, we don't change tax on food you use for Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Donkey. The tax is on Easter eggs. But only if you decorate them with bunny ears."
Me: "Never mind, I'll go to McDonald's and buy an egg McMuffin!"
@GardenGerty (157624)
• United States
5 Nov 07
Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all other times of the year, I eat pumpkin. Are they going to charge this extra tax at the pumpkin patches as well? In Kansas Pumpkin patches are big business at this time of the year. Yes, I agree, pumpkins are pretty, the little ones, the big ones, and the different colors and shades of yellow and orange. Have you ever seen a white one? When you cut it, it smells slightly like cantaloupe, and it is so cool. We pay taxes on our food here, but I would not want to pay extra tax on pumpkins.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
5 Nov 07
Yes, especially at the patches, but not any more! Due to public outcry, the pumpkin tax is no more, apparently. Yayy! If your stat taxes all food, then you probably wonder what the fuss is all about. I do not think it was intended to be an extra tax, but rather they just thought they could get by with pretending it was not food for as long as it was food then there would be no tax. .
I have seen, but never eaten a white pumpkin. Sounds delish!
@ladyluna (7004)
• United States
1 Nov 07
Hello Drannhh,
Yeah, I read about this idiocy, and was astounded. So, if you paid .25 in tax, you'll need to spend .41 to mail in the rebate form???
We also use the pumpkin meat and seeds (I love roasted pumpkin seeds, mmmmm!). Yet, we grow our own pumpkins. So even if this idiocy spreads to other states, we won't be paying this absurd tax.
I'm glad that your fall tradition hasn't been sullied by greedy, governmental knuckleheads. I'm just sorry that Iowa's citizens have been encumbered by this nonsense.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
1 Nov 07
Two hour ago an EA (tax professional) from California published a note that the governor of Iowa has now made clear that this tax went into effect before he took office, declared it "ridiculous" and suspended collection. Time will only tell whether the lawmakers there actually remove it from their books, however. For the moment we pumpkin lovers may be save from bureaucracy, but I would recommend we still keep a vigilant eye out for the tooth fairy!
2 people like this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
1 Nov 07
That just sounds crazy to me! I'm glad that it appears that the law didn't pass. I just can't imagine anyone going for that - just because some people do use pumpkins as decorations at Halloween time doesn't mean that they aren't a food item and should be charged differently according to the tax that you pay on them. I'm sure that a lot of people, like you, do save and eat the seeds even if they don't eat the rest! Hope that you had a happy Halloween!
@mrrtomatoe (800)
• Canada
2 Nov 07
how would they impose such a dumb rule? speaking of dumb rules, i heard in some state it is illegal to eat ice cream with apple pie. no joke! it was on one of thoes things they used to play between commercial breaks on tv. anyways what's to say i fill in a form and put the pumpkin on my lawn. Looks like the state it trying to make an extra buck off people who can't be bothered to fill in a form...
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
2 Nov 07
I think they'd like to apply the Napoleonic code, lol, but it looks like there was enough protest over this silliness to get the thing reversed. I've heard that several states had laws against serving apple pie without cheese. I guees putting ice cream and chees both of the pie would gross out some people. As some famous person said, and I must paraphrase here, lol, "The law is a Donkey!"
