Buckeye Reporter

Senator Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) has introduced an amendment to a defense spending bill that would significantly increase the National Firearms Act (NFA) tax on certain firearms. The proposed amendment, Senate Amendment 2973, would raise the tax to $4,709 for each firearm transferred under the NFA. This comes after Congress recently reduced the tax from $200, which had been in place since 1934, to zero.

The amendment was added to H.R.3944, a spending bill for Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies currently being considered in the U.S. Senate. If enacted, it would apply to suppressors, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, and also increase the tax on "Any Other Weapon" from $5 to $55.

According to the proposal's critics, this represents a substantial jump—a 4,709% increase over what gun owners are now required to pay and more than double what was previously charged when the $200 fee was in effect.

Supporters of gun rights argue that such measures make lawful firearm ownership unaffordable for many Americans. They point out that similar taxes have already been implemented at the state level; California imposes an 11% excise tax on firearms and ammunition sales while Colorado has passed legislation for a 6.5% excise tax on these products. Other states including Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, and Washington have proposed comparable taxes.

At the federal level, manufacturers already pay an excise tax of 10-11% on firearms and ammunition through the Pittman-Robertson Act. Since its inception in 1937, this system has generated over $29 billion for wildlife conservation efforts across all states.

Some lawmakers believe new taxes like those proposed by Sen. Murphy are unconstitutional because they could restrict access to constitutionally protected rights by making them prohibitively expensive.

To counter such proposals at both state and federal levels, Reps. Darrell Issa (R-California), Richard Hudson (R-North Carolina), and Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) have introduced legislation known as the Unfair Gun Taxes Act (H.R.2442/S.1169). This act aims to prevent states from enacting excise taxes on firearms or ammunition specifically intended to fund gun control programs.

Other legislative efforts include proposals such as the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) and Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act which seek to remove suppressors or certain types of firearms from NFA regulation entirely—eliminating associated taxes and administrative requirements if passed.

"The hurdle remains high," one statement reads regarding passing these bills: "It takes 60 votes to clear the filibuster in the Senate." The statement continues: "Right now only 53 senators could be counted on to protect Second Amendment rights."

"Sen. Murphy slipped his proposed amendment into the U.S. House of Representatives spending bill for Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies... That’s where Sen. Murphy proposed Senate Amendment 2973 which states 'There shall be levied collected and paid on firearms transferred a tax at the rate of $4,709 for each firearm transferred.'"

If passed into law without additional protections or reforms advocated by gun rights supporters in Congress—including Buckeye Firearms Association—this measure could substantially impact how Americans purchase regulated firearms in future years.