ST. LOUIS, MO - APRIL 13: Chris Patrie looks at the Benelli display of shotguns during the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits April 13, 2012 at the America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri. More than 60,000 people are expected to attend the convention, which runs through Sunday. Republican presidential candidates former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum are all scheduled to speak. (Photo by Whitney Curtis/Getty Images)
The House GOP mega budget bill has an unusual provision – it repeals taxes on gun silencers.
The GOP and President Donald Trump’s mega bill largely seeks to cut taxes and spending on healthcare. Eliminating the tax on gun silencers is an unusual addition that surprised many observers.
The average gun silencer costs around $830. Current law levies a tax of $200 on each purchase. Eliminating the tax would end up costing $1.4 billion over a decade.
The tax on silencers has been enforced since 1934, when Congress passed the National Firearms Act. Since then, there have been 4.5 million silencers registered as of 2024. The National Rifle Association supports the tax elimination.
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Giffords, an organization led by former Rep. Gabby Gifford (D-Arizona), which works to prevent gun violence and advocate for the cause, supports maintaining the tax. Giffords has stated that silencers make it harder for law enforcement to locate and react to active shooters.
Rep. Mike Thompson (D-California) argued that silencers make it more difficult for shooting victims to locate the shots’ origins as they try to find cover. Thompson, a veteran, hunter, and gun owner, argues that it is simply a giveaway to the gun industry.
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) have not commented on the elimination of tax.
The House mega bill is making its way through the chamber. To become law, it would require approval from the Senate and Trump’s signature.
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