The National Retail Federation escalated its battle against the border adjustment tax today by launching a multimedia campaign to inform Americans about just how much it will cost them.
“While NRF strongly supports tax reform, the BAT is bad tax policy that would increase costs on everyday necessities like food, gas, clothing and prescription medicines for the average family by as much as $1,700 in the first year alone,” the NRF said.
The BAT is included in the House Republican leadership’s “Better Way” plan for tax reform.
“American consumers are being asked to foot the bill for a new $1 trillion tax giveaway for multinational companies, and this campaign will make sure those paying for it know it,” NRF senior vice president for government relations David French said. “We need tax reform that rewards entrepreneurs and allows businesses to grow and create good-paying jobs that lift working families up. The BAT does just the opposite, penalizing Americans by adding a tax on clothing, food, gas and other necessities while threatening the very industry that 42 million hardworking men and women rely upon for their livelihoods.”
Related Articles
The campaign involves television, print and digital ads. It can be viewed on the campaign landing page, bat.tax, and began airing on the Fox News Channel’s morning program, “Fox & Friends.” This Saturday, the ad will be broadcast during the NBC show “Saturday Night Live.” The campaign encourages consumers to contact their representatives in Congress and urge them to oppose the BAT.
You May Also Like
According to the NRF, retailers account for one out of four U.S. jobs, or 42 million positions, but a BAT could cause retailers to see tax bills three to five times the amount of their profits, threatening to drive some merchants out of business. The small companies that make up 98 percent of the retail industry and provide 40 percent of its jobs would be at the biggest risk, according to NRF.
Jay Schottenstein, executive chairman and chief executive officer of American Eagle Outfitters, recently told WWD that border taxes would be devastating to manufacturers, retailers and consumers, and Americans have to lobby and protest to resist their implementation. “Retailers, manufacturers and consumers have to know about it. Border taxes are a very serious thing,” Schottenstein said. “They will drive retailers down and cause tremendous unemployment. If we put in a border tax, every other country will put in a border tax and that will kill our exports…I think half of the retailers in the country will go out of business,” though that wouldn’t be the case with AEO, he said. “It will be devastating to the American people.”
NRF’s anti-BAT campaign has a tinge of sarcasm, stating, “Too much dough got you feeling low? Too much cash breaking your back? Then you need…the BAT Tax! The all-new BAT Tax is specially designed to make your disposable income — disappear! Ordinary taxes alone just won’t cut it!”
It also characterizes the BAT as “income-chilling, tax-bringing, job-killing.”
The TV buy is for two weeks in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and in both DC and NYC during Saturday Night Live this weekend. NRF is also planning a comprehensive campaign to engage with consumers in several key lawmakers’ districts as well. The digital ads will run nationwide for three months and are a combination of Facebook, Twitter, search, display and pre-roll video ads. The print ads will run once this week in two Capitol Hill publications, Roll Call and The Hill. The buys could change as the consumer response is evaluated, the NRF said.
In addition to the campaign, the NRF has spearheaded a coalition of retailers, shippers, automakers and auto dealers, called Americans for Affordable Products, that is advocating in tandem with NRF against the BAT. The coalition announced Tuesday that it has over 200 members, including many NRF members.
The NRF noted that BAT is far from being approved and The Better Way plan is in blueprint stage, ie, a policy white paper. The NRF also noted that the House Republican leadership has not yet released a draft of the legislation, which would be the next step in the process.