As inflation soared in the past year, families in some states suffered a double whammy — paying food sales taxes on top of higher-priced groceries.
At least five of the 13 states where groceries were taxed as of last Jan. 1 passed laws to reduce, eliminate or ease the pinch — Kansas, Virginia, Illinois, Tennessee and Idaho. Efforts failed in several other states.
Almost all states have seen their budget surpluses grow in the past two years, thanks to federal COVID-19 relief funds and increasing corporate tax revenues as the economy recovers from the pandemic.
