Idaho Girl Scout Cookie Tax Exemption Clears Its First Hurdle

Emilie Ritter Saunders / StateImpact

Cosette is 8-years-old and recently became a Girl Scout. Here's why she joined, "You get to learn new friends, and you get to sell some cookies, and maybe eat some."

Girl Scout cookies sold in Idaho are one step closer to being tax-free. The House Revenue and Tax Committee unanimously agreed to send the new tax exemption proposal on for a vote in the full House.

Idaho Girl Scouts sell an estimated $2.5 million worth of their famed cookies each year, resulting in $140,000 in sales tax revenue for the state.

Rep. Robert Anderst (R-Nampa) voted in favor of the tax exemption, but wants the Legislature to think about dealing with exemptions differently, in a less piecemeal fashion.

Currently, 75 specific organizations, goods and services don’t have to pay Idaho sales tax. For example, funeral caskets, ski lifts, commercial aircraft, and vending machines are among the goods not taxed in Idaho.

“This is absolutely the wrong way to deal with tax policy,” Anderst says. “There’s a lot of good organizations out there, and although I’m going to support this, I think it’s important we step back at some point, obviously not today, but truly look at how we deal with 501c3s, nonprofits, anybody that has a core that goes to the betterment of Idaho.”