JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI (KMOX) - A bill is slowly pushing through the Missouri State Senate to phase out the vehicle property tax.
Senate Bill 24, authored by Sen. Bill Eigel (R-St. Charles County) would reduce the personal property tax assessment rate from 33.3% to 0.001% over the course of five years. He says it only needs about three more GOP Senators to support it to give it passage in the upper chamber.
Senator Eigel tells FM Talk 97.1 he was a little surprised the idea of cutting a tax that few states have is taking so long to push through in Missouri.
"I know I was going to have to struggle with our Democratic colleagues when I came down to Jefferson City to cut the taxes of the people. I did not think it would be so difficult to convince Republicans to cut the taxes."
The St. Charles County conservative says paying a yearly property tax on a vehicle is very unlike Missouri. He notes only a few states charge such a yearly tax, and Missouri has the third-highest of those that do.
"It punishes people for the very simple act of owning a vehicle, that they need to get to work,.... and to live their lives."
He expresses hope his bill will find the final votes needed in the next few months, and then be passed on to the House.
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