Health Reform Burns Tanning Businesses
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By Tom Embrey
Senior Writer
Owners of local tanning salons are feeling burned by the new heath-care reform legislation.
That's because effective July 1, customers of the salons will be charged a 10 percent user tax.
"I don't believe tanning has anything, in any way whatsoever, to do with health care," said Jim Bivens, owner of Island Tanning & Beach Shop in Olmsted Village. "Basically we just got something we didn't want shoved down our throats."
Bivens owns one of seven businesses that have tanning beds in Moore County.
The health benefits or risks of tanning have been debated for years.
Proponents of tanning say exposure to UVA rays can boost the body's production of vitamin D, and that can lower risk of certain diseases, including some types of cancer. UVA and UVB lights can be used to treat eczema.
Opponents say tanning and exposure to UVA and UVB rays dramatically increase the risk of developing skin cancer, including the often deadly form called melanoma. It can also cause damage to eyes.
A tax for elective procedures such as botox and breast implants didn't make the legislation, which has tanning salon owners crying foul.
Brandi Underwood, owner of Sunnyside Up Tanning in Southern Pines, said she thinks the tax is a blatant attack on small business owners and the middle class - a group she says makes up a majority of those who use tanning salons.
"They are picking on the little person," Underwood said.
Each tanning salon offers a variety of packages for customers that range from daily passes to a yearly pass.
Most daily passes cost about $6. Unlimited monthly passes can be obtained from about $40. Yearly passes are in the $100 to $120 range.
A 10 percent charge on a monthly pass could add up to about $50 extra per year for customers.
Tanning salon owners think the bill will affect their customer base.
"Any more fees or taxes on the American consumer is going to affect the way they spend," said Joyce Bass, owner of Hotties Tanning Salon in Vass. "It's not like getting food or gas. Tanning is a pleasure item. Folks will cut pleasure items because that is all they can afford to cut."
Underwood said she worries that her customers will blame her for the raising prices. But she said she isn't so sure the tanning business will suffer as much as others do.
"I don't think it will be a huge impact on our customers, but it's too early to tell," she said. "They keep raising taxes on cigarettes, and the same amount of people keep smoking."
Standing outside her business on a warm, sunny spring afternoon, Bass was philosophical about the new law.
"This new tax is the price we pay to pursue our happiness," she said.
Contact Tom Embrey by e-mail at tembrey@thepilot.com.
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Comments
Steve 1 year, 10 months ago
To much goverment.
None 1 year, 10 months ago
I keep telling everyone, the next tax will be on the air we breathe. Support FairTax.org. And please don't vote for any political talking heads who doesn't support it or who knows nothing about FairTax.
theonewithsense 1 year, 10 months ago
only people that make over 250k a year use tanning beds
kittywhiskers 1 year, 10 months ago
Am I the only one to see the blatant racism and sexism in this? Only light skinned people(mostly women) use tanning beds. Perhaps a tax on hair weaves and tire rims would balance this.
Dukegirl 1 year, 10 months ago
You're not the only one that sees it kittywhiskers...it's very obvious!! Oh and for the person that said people that make over 250,000 a year are the only ones that tan has no clue what they're talking about....LOL.
greentara13 1 year, 10 months ago
I agree it seems to target small business. It is hypocritical when large companies can pollute our air and land, and water and get a slap on the wrist with fines, and tax breaks because they created a few lousy jobs. We don't get a choice in that matter. Even though I don't believe tanning beds are a wise choice, it is still a choice for the consumer to make, not for the government to choose to penalize.
greentara13 1 year, 10 months ago
Thanks Toda for the link to the Fair Tax. That looks interesting!
SCCstudent 1 year, 10 months ago
Well folks would someone please tell me what the government doesn't have a hand in or on? Just one launch of the space shuttle would feed thousands of homeless - yep, right here in the good ol US of A. Thousands who have lost jobs that Washington sent overseas and across our borders by giving tax breaks to corporations. Fax Tax is the only way to go so that everyone pays their fair share based on consumption: buy an airplane, pay the tax, buy a gallon of gas, pay the tax ~ Opp's we're doing that already on everything.
For the working folks - it's tax and spend - tax and spend - tax and spend => and don't blame decades of crap on POTUS'O! He just got the stinky end of the political stick. Since Washington has sold our country to the Chinese, Japanese, Germans and Middle East financiers, then which language should we begin learning. Not Spanish because they don't have any money either.
JeneccaD 1 year, 10 months ago
Amazaballs! I 100% AGREE WITH YOU EXPATRIATE! How's that stoooopid cat doing?
TimothySmithNC 1 year, 10 months ago
For the love of Pete... poor babies have to pay more a whole four bucks more a month to give themselves cancer. Never mind the fact that we all end up paying for their healthcare costs when their skin begins to rot off their vain and self-entitled bodies. Cry me a river.
No wait! I have a better idea, let's start crying racism like the ahem informed citizen above did. You know, because it just dawned on her that this pittance of a tax must be racist... just like Glenn Beck's stand-in has been saying on his radio show this last week.
No... even better! Let's all arm ourselves with guns and have a Teabagger party and hold up signs and rant and yell like pathetic, screaming babies who don't get their candy bar while standing in line at the store while the rest of us roll our eyes.
Yes folks, it's the end of days indeed when people have to pay $4.00 more to sit and do something stupid to themselves like exposing their epidural layer to massive amounts of UV light. Yes, it must be a conspiracy. Probably hatched by a naked Rahm Emanuel and ACORN workers.
Pssst... sunlight is free. For the love of all that is holy, quit whining.
nostudme 1 year, 10 months ago
Too much govt. FAIR TAX.
eastern65 1 year, 10 months ago
I agree tanning is bad for you, but can't help wondering, "is this a tax targeting Caucasians"? After all not many darker skin people go to tanning salons.
dogboy 1 year, 10 months ago
...a Caucasian tax? what's next a tax on bingo?
sgmartin 1 year, 10 months ago
Wow. Pathetic comments. Can't think of anything I would rather tax than something that is unhealthy and contributes to rising health care costs - in the way of skin cancer. I think that has been pretty well established.
None 1 year, 10 months ago
@TimothySmithNC ~ Timothy my man...it's not about the service that's being taxed, it's another damn tax! In another post, I admit I was wrong, when I commented that the only thing left to tax was the air we breathe. The government will get around to that soon enough. Just have to figure out how to measure lung volume.
None 1 year, 10 months ago
@sgmartin ~ "something that is unhealthy and contributes to rising health care costs - in the way of skin cancer". Tee Hee Hee Hee - block out the sun! Close the beaches to bronze bodies. Seriously!
theonewithsense 1 year, 10 months ago
we need to tax overweight people and fast food and lazy people