02 Dec Even Santa Isn’t Exempt From Hefty Shoe Taxes
Even Santa Claus has to pay footwear taxes and tariffs on his shiny black boots, according to the Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA).
With the holiday season in full swing, the FDRA has ramped up its efforts to engage and activate the industry around reducing shoe taxes and tariffs.
The FDRA points out that “Santas in malls across the country are paying an additional 20 percent hidden import tax on their boots, [and] elves are not excluded — they face the same rates.”
“While duty is paid by the importer, it has a impact on the consumer,” said FDRA President Matt Priest. “While everyone is thinking about shopping and extending their holiday budgets as far as possible, we thought it was a good idea to get them engaged in an effort [that involves the] Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and perhaps lower and eliminate duties on a lot of footwear products and make some types of shoes cheaper.”