Louisiana Tax Reform: Sales Tax Changes & Impact on Businesses

Louisiana is on its way to significantly changing its tax system. The state government and lawmakers approved several bills as part of the tax package, impacting employees, businesses, and local governments throughout the state.

Tax reform aims to expand the tax base by involving more people in the tax system. This should reduce pressure on the taxpayers currently in the system. Moreover, the reform should increase state revenues. Some critical measures are the transition to flat income tax rates, abolishing the corporate franchise tax, and amending sales tax rules and regulations.

Changes to Sales Tax Rules

Under the new rules, more than 40 services and digital goods will become subject to sales tax. Therefore, services such as car washes, online dating and matchmaking services, fitness training, landscaping, interior decorating, photography, event planning, pet sitting and grooming, research polling, boat storage, security, ride shares, property rentals, travel agents, lobbying, and many others that were not subject to sales tax, will become subject.

Following the proposed changes, small businesses and sole traders are required to collect and remit monthly sales taxes on all services and digital goods subject to sales tax.

Furthermore, the 0.45% state sales tax that was about to expire will be extended, several sales tax exemptions, such as a 2% sales tax exemption for business utilities, will be abolished, and sales tax breaks for production, manufacturing jobs, and other industries will be removed.

For all proposed tax bills to come into force, passage with two-thirds of the Legislature is needed. Therefore, at least 70 votes in the House and 26 in the Senate are required to approve these proposed changes. 

Conclusion

The future of the proposed sales tax changes should be known in the upcoming weeks. It is estimated that if the sales tax changes are implemented, the total annual state revenue from sales taxes will increase by up to USD 138 million in 2025, USD 413 million in 2026, and USD 502 million in 2027, 2028, and 2029. From that perspective, it is clear that these changes are significant and that subjecting additional services and digital goods to taxation is a valid political and financial move.

However, there are still some concerns about how this will impact citizens and whether they will be discouraged from buying certain goods and services. 

Source: Louisiana Illuminator, State of Louisiana - Preliminary Analysis of Draft Legislation – Sales Tax: Services Taxability