How sweet it is…probably has nothing to do with the tax
OLYMPIA -- Tax protestors with a sweet tooth rejoice. You may have plenty of sweet treats to enjoy without paying a sales tax.
You may have to commit your favorite "tax-exempt" sweets to memory, though. Unless you know the ingredients, you may have trouble figuring what's on or off the state Department of Revenue's list of taxable candies. The department's preliminary list is just out, and in each of the following pairs of items, one is taxable and one is exempt. Can you guess which is which between:
Good and Plenty or Mike and Ike..
Milky Way bars or 3 Musketeers bars.
Kit-Kat bars or Hershey bars.
In each of the above pairings, the first one is exempt and the second taxable. The main difference is the use of flour in the creation of those treats, Mike Gowrylow, a Department of Revenue spokesman said: Those that use flour aren't candy under the law.
Many of the "not candy" items on the department's exempt list are licorice: black or red, bits, nibbles, whips or sticks. Apparently, licorice is made with flour.
So if you always thought of that box of pink and white "Good and Plenty" as candy when you bought it at the concession stand when you were a kid attending a matinee, turns out you were wrong. And while most jelly beans are candy, and taxable, the licorice flavored assortment of Jelly Belly's is exempt.
The department has posted a list of some 3,000 sweets and their tax status. It can be found here.
The list is preliminary, Gowrylow said "We're going to try to refine it through the rest of this month.
For a list of the currently exempt treats, go inside the blog
| 100 Calorie Pack Twix |
| 100 Calorie Reese's Wafers Box |
| 100 Grand |
| BASSETT’S LICORICE CANDY ALLSORTS |
| Black Licorice Twists |
| Black Twists |
| Brownie Bits, Milk Chocolate |
| Caramel Cream Trays |
| Caramel Creams |
| Chocolate Bar, Milk Wafer |
| Chocolate Covered Licorice |
| Chocolate Covered Strawberry |
| Chocolate Creams |
| Chocolate Gourmet Mints Box |
| CHOCOLATE PRETZELS |
| Chocolate Pretzels Gift Box, Dark |
| Chocolate Pretzels Gift Box, Milk |
| Chocolate Pretzels Gift Box, White |
| Chocolate Smothered Pretzels |
| Coffee Crisp |
| Cookie Dough Bites, Dk Choc Chips |
| Cookie Dough Bites, Fudge Brownie |
| Cookie Dough Bites, Mk Choc Chips |
| Cookie Dough Bites, Peanut Butter |
| Cookie, Chocolate By Oreo, Dark |
| Cookie, Chocolate By Oreo, Milk |
| Cookies 'N' Cream Bar |
| Cookies, Crushed Sandwich |
| Cowtales, Chocolate |
| Cowtales, Original |
| Cowtales, Strawberry |
| Crisped Rice Pop, Decorated |
| Crunch Bar White Chocolate |
| Crunch Crisp |
| Crunch Stixx, Butterfinger |
| Dark Choc Graham Crackers |
| Dark Chocolate Pretzels |
| Dolcetto Wafer Tins Cappuccino |
| Dolcetto Wafer Tins Chocolate |
| Dolcetto Wafer Tins Tiramisu |
| Double Salt |
| Ferrero Rocher |
| Finska Licorice |
| Finska Strawberry |
| Fruity Pasta |
| Goetze Bull's Eye |
| Goetze Cowtales |
| Good & Plenty |
| Good & Plenty (Pink & White) |
| Good 'n Plenty |
| GOURMET CHOCOLATE DINNER MINTS |
| Graham Cracker, Dark |
| Graham Cracker, Milk |
| Isle of Skye (Dark/Milk w/Crispy Puffed Grains) |
| Jelly Belly Classic Licorice Gift Box |
| JORDAN ALMONDS – WHITE |
| Joys, Pretzel White |
| Joys, Pretzel, Milk |
| Juicy Twists, Black |
| Juicy Twists, Blue Raspberry |
| Juicy Twists, Cherry (West Coast Red) |
| Juicy Twists, Chocolate |
| Juicy Twists, Grape |
| Juicy Twists, Green Apple |
| Juicy Twists, Orange |
| Juicy Twists, Peach |
| Juicy Twists, Pina Colada |
| Juicy Twists, Red Raspberry |
| Juicy Twists, Root Beer |
| Juicy Twists, Spicy Cinnamon |
| Juicy Twists, Strawberry Red |
| Juicy Twists, Watermelon |
| Kit Kat |
| Lemon Blueberry Shortbread |
| Licorice |
| LICORICE (BROWN CHOCOLATE TWISTS) |
| LICORICE (RED STRAWBERRY TWISTS) |
| Licorice Allsorts |
| Licorice Bears |
| Licorice Beehive Honey |
| LICORICE BITES (RED & BLACK) |
| Licorice Bridge Mix |
| Licorice Buttons |
| Licorice Buttons |
| Licorice Finnska Organic |
| Licorice Finnska Soft |
| Licorice Herbal |
| Licorice Honey Drop |
| Licorice Ice |
| Licorice Laces, Black |
| Licorice Laces, Red |
| Licorice Mix |
| Licorice Money Salt |
| Licorice Pastels |
| Licorice Pastels |
| Licorice Pipes |
| Licorice Pipes, Black |
| LICORICE RED & BLACK LACES |
| Licorice Ribbles Salt |
| Licorice Sea Salt |
| Licorice Snaps |
| Licorice Soft Drops |
| Licorice Sticks, Chocolate |
| Licorice Sticks, Green Apple |
| Licorice Sticks, Red Raspberry |
| Licorice Sticks, Watermelon |
| Licorice Sweet Buttons |
| LICORICE WHEEL (RED) |
| Licorice Wheels |
| LICORICE WHEELS (BLACK) |
| Licorice Wheels, Black |
| Licorice Wheels, Red |
| Licorice Whips |
| Licorice, Black |
| Licorice, Dark Chocolate Covered Licorice |
| Licorice, Milk Chocolate Covered Strawberry |
| Licorice, Raspberry |
| Licorice, Red |
| Liquorice Allsorts |
| Liquorice Nuggets, Black |
| Liquorice Nuggets, Strawberry |
| Look Bars |
| Maltballs, Carob |
| Maltballs, Dark Chocolate Expresso |
| Maltballs, Milk Chocolate |
| Maltballs, Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter |
| Maltballs, Yogurt |
| Manner Apricot Wafers |
| Manner Chocolate Wafers |
| Manner Hazelnut Wafers |
| Manner Lemon Wafers |
| Manner Mignon Dark Hazelnut Wafers |
| Manner Vanilla Wafers |
| Marshmallow Yum Yum Cones |
| Marshmallow Yum Yum Cones in Barrel |
| Milk Choc Oreo Cookies |
| Milk Choc Pretzels |
| Milk ChocGraham Crackers |
| MILKY WAY Bar |
| Mini Cow Tales |
| MINTS (BUTTER) |
| Nestle Crunch Caramel |
| Nestle Crunch Fun Size |
| Nestle Crunch Heart Singles |
| Nestle Crunch, Crushed |
| Nestle's Crunch |
| No Sugar Added Maltballs |
| Original Red Twist |
| Panda Licorice Bar |
| Panda Licorice Chews |
| Panda Raspberry Chews |
| PEANUT BUTTER LOGS |
| Peanut Butter Pretzel Twist |
| Peanut Butter with Crispies |
| Peppermint Bark Shortbread |
| Petits Dessert Truffle Cake |
| Pineapple Licorice |
| Pink Strawberry Twist Tray |
| Pontefract Cakes |
| Pretzel Flipz Chocolate Swirl |
| Pretzel Flipz Strawberry Swirl |
| Pretzel Rod with Multi Seeds, Milk |
| Pretzel, Dark |
| Pretzel, Gourmet with Multi Seeds, Milk |
| Pretzel, Gourmet with Toffee, Milk |
| Pretzel, Milk |
| Pretzel, Small Pretzels |
| Pretzel, White |
| Pretzels, Gourmet with Jimmies, Milk |
| Pretzels, Milk Chocolate |
| Pretzels, Yogurt |
| PREZELS (WHITE CHOCOLATE) |
| Product |
| Raffaello |
| Red Whips |
| Reese's Sticks |
| Rips Theater Box |
| Rondnoir |
| Salmiak Rock Drops |
| S'mores |
| S'mores, Chocolate, Milk |
| Snaps |
| SNICKERS CRUNCHER Bar |
| Snickers Marathon Energy Bar Multi Grain Crunch |
| Sour Power Belts, Berry Blue |
| Sour Power Belts, Green Apple |
| Sour Power Belts, Green Apple Tubs |
| Sour Power Belts, Ind. Wrapped, Blue Raspberry |
| Sour Power Belts, Ind. Wrapped, Green Apple |
| Sour Power Belts, Ind. Wrapped, Strawberry |
| Sour Power Belts, Ind. Wrapped, Watermelon |
| Sour Power Belts, Quattro, Indiv.Wrpd |
| Sour Power Belts, Rainbow |
| Sour Power Belts, Raspberry-Cherry |
| Sour Power Belts, Strawberry |
| Sour Power Belts, Strawberry Tubs |
| Sour Power Belts, Strawberry-Banana |
| Sour Power Belts, Watermelon |
| Sour Power Belts, Watermelon Tubs |
| Sour Power Straws, Green Apple |
| Sour Power Straws, Strawberry |
| Sour Power Straws, Watermelon |
| Sour Punch Ropes, Cherry |
| Sour Punch Ropes, Strawberry |
| Sour Punch Sip n Chew Apple |
| Sour Punch Sip n Chew Cherry |
| Sour Punch Straws |
| Sour Punch Straws, Apple |
| Sour Punch Straws, Apple, Large |
| Sour Punch Straws, Blue Raspberry |
| Sour Punch Straws, Cherry |
| Sour Punch Straws, Green Apple |
| Sour Punch Straws, Strawberry |
| Sour Punch Straws, Strawberry, Large |
| Sour Punch Straws, Watermelon |
| Sour Punch Straws, Watermelon, Large |
| Sour Punch Twist |
| Sour S'ghetti |
| Sugar Free Licorice Bites, Black |
| Sugar Free Licorice Bites, Red |
| Sugar Free Licorice Vines, Black |
| Sugar Free Licorice Vines, Strawberry |
| Sugar Free Pretzel Flipz Milk |
| Sugar Free Pretzel, Milk |
| Sugar Free, Black Licorice Sticks |
| Sugar Free, Red Licorice Sticks |
| SUGARFREE CHOCOLATE PRETZELS |
| Super Juicy Twist Sour Apple |
| Super Juicy Twist Sour Bitter Berry |
| Super Juicy Twist Sour Green Apple |
| Super Juicy Twist Sour Watermelon |
| Super Ropes |
| Take Five |
| Tangy Zangy Sour Belts, Bl Rasp |
| Tangy Zangy Sour Belts, Green Apple |
| Tangy Zangy Sour Belts, Strawberry |
| THE MIX |
| Touch of Italy |
| Tubi's Tire Tread Licorice Bag, Black |
| Tubi's Tire Tread Licorice Bag, Red |
| Tubi's Tire Tread Licorice Bar, Black |
| Twisty Punch Bites, Black |
| Twisty Punch Bites, Raspberry (Orig. Red Vine Flavor) |
| Twisty Punch Bites, Strawberry |
| Twisty Punch Licorice |
| Twisty Punch Strawberry |
| TWIX Caramel Cookie Bars |
| TWIX Peanut Butter Cookie Bars |
| Twizzler, Rainbow Twist |
| Twizzler, Sourz |
| Twizzler, Twerpz |
| Twizzlers |
| Twizzlers Cherry Bites King Size |
| Twizzlers Rainbow Twists |
| Twizzlers Strawberry Twist |
| Whoppers |
| Whoppers Peanut Butter |
| Whoppers Strawberry Milkshake |
| Wiley Wallaby Gourmet Black |
| Wiley Wallaby Gourmet Green Apple |
| Wiley Wallaby Gourmet Red |
| Wiley Wallaby Gourmet Watermelon |
| Wonka Bars |
| Zero |