Girl Scouts’ Patience Taxed--and So Are Their Cookie Sales
The city plans to take a bite out of Girl Scout cookie profits by charging sales tax on each box sold in town, outraging Scout leaders, who rely on the sales to fund activities.
“Taxing Girl Scout cookies is the worst thing I’ve ever heard of,” Peggy Lewis, who is responsible for 450 Girl Scouts and their leaders, said Tuesday. “Donations are what they are taxing. How can they tax a donation?”
City sales tax auditor Cathy Arnold said that the tax ordinance has been on the books since 1968 but had not been enforced against charitable organizations because of a lack of staff.
The sales tax will amount to 5 cents on every $2 box of cookies sold within city limits, Arnold said. Food sold at groceries is taxed at the same rate.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
