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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Maine Wants More Dough Girl Scouts May Be Forced To Collect ‘Snack Tax’

Victoria Brett Associated Press

The state of Maine is trying to collect a few crumbs from the Girl Scouts, slapping a 6 percent “snack tax” on sales of Thin Mints, Trefoils, Samoas and Do-si-dos.

The Girl Scouts say it’s a half-baked idea to tax a nonprofit group.

“We’re just a bunch of girls trying to raise money for our organization and we don’t need the tax people picking on us,” said Julia Payne, 13, of Houlton.

The state imposed a snack tax in 1991 on cookies, chips and candy bars. Initially, the Bureau of Taxation wanted to tax Girl Scout cookies on the wholesale level but backed down when challenged and returned $100,000 to the group.

Now the state argues that the Girl Scouts must pay taxes at the retail level because they’re running a major retail enterprise, more than just a “casual sale.”

“A casual sale is hit-or-miss,” state tax assessor John LaFaver said Sunday. “Maybe they do it one year and not the next. It’s unpredictable, like a lawn sale type of thing.”

Jane Hartman, a lawyer for the Kennebec Girl Scout Council, said LaFaver is misinterpreting the law.

The chips will fall Wednesday, when Superior Court Justice Donald Alexander is to rule on the legality of the state’s action.

Hawaii has a sales tax on Girl Scout cookies, but very few other states do, because the Girl Scouts are a nonprofit organization, said Bonnie McEwan, spokeswoman for Girl Scouts USA in New York.

“The cookie sale is a program experience for girls’ education skills and team building,” she said. “It’s a fundraiser and makes local Girl Scout activities possible.”

In Maine, the cookie sale has been going on for 60 years. Last year, the 16,000 members of the state’s two Girl Scout councils - the Kennebec and the Abnaki - grossed more than $3 million. Cookie profits make up 60 percent of the councils’ budgets.

“A part of scouting … is learning to be a responsible citizen. And part of that is paying your taxes,” LaFaver said.

With tax, the price of a box of cookies sold by the Kennebec Council would go from $3 to $3.18.

Julia Payne earned a badge last year for selling more than 150 boxes. She said she’s worried that cookie sales will drop and activities will have to be cut if the price is increased.

“My goal is 200 for this year, but with the tax it may have to be 125,” she said.