The National Retail Federation (NRF) launched a television, print and digital ad campaign to educate Americans on the high consumer cost of the border adjustment tax (BAT). The BAT is included in the House Republican leadership’s “Better Way” plan for tax reform. 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.
“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,” said NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French. “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.”
The TV spot can be viewed on the campaign landing page, bat.tax, and will air on the Fox News Channel’s morning program, FOX and Friends, and during the NBC show Saturday Night Live on Saturday, March 4. The television ads will be supported with a digital and print campaign and will encourage consumers to contact their members of Congress to express opposition to the border adjustment tax.
The BAT threatens America’s largest private-sector employer, putting at risk millions more jobs than it would allegedly create for manufacturing. Retailers support 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 retailers that make up 98% of the retail industry and provide 40% of its jobs would be at the biggest risk.
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NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries.
