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Governor Baker Offers General Support For Lowering Sales Tax

A white man in a suit stands in front of a bookshelf.
WAMC

Gov. Charlie Baker is calling for a discussion about lowering the state's 6.25 percent sales tax, but he isn't offering any specifics.

Baker was asked Monday to expand on comments he made Saturday at the Republican state convention, when he said he supported both reducing the sales tax and establishing a permanent summer sales tax holiday.

The Retailers Association of Massachusetts has proposed a ballot question that would lower the sales tax to 5 percent. The governor would not indicate Monday if he specifically supported that effort, but said he hoped a legislative compromise could be reached that would negate the need for the question to go before voters.

Analysts say cutting the sales tax to 5 percent would mean a loss of roughly $1 billion in annual state revenue.

© 2018 Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.

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