Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., along with other Senate Republicans, introduced the Repealing Illegal Freedom and Liberty Excises (RIFLE) Act, a bill that aims to abolish transfer taxes on firearms regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA). The NFA has imposed taxes on the transfers of short-barreled shotguns and rifles, as well as fully automatic firearms since 1934. The tax, which has remained at $200 since then, is equivalent to nearly $4,700 in 2024 dollars. The proposed legislation seeks to eliminate Section 5811 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, effectively repealing the transfer tax for all firearms regulated by the NFA.
The bill, according to Cotton, aims to remove a burdensome tax imposed on firearms regulated under the NFA without altering the existing checks and registration requirements. Speaking to Fox News Digital, attorney Oliver Krawczyk described the current taxes on firearms as being similar to poll taxes and supported the legislation, calling it a step in the right direction. Krawczyk expressed his belief that the legislation would undermine the constitutional basis of the NFA and questioned the notion that it could be a felony to possess a short-barreled rifle or shotgun in the first place.
The RIFLE Act has garnered support from senators such as Marsha Blackburn, John Cornyn, and Markwayne Mullin, as well as other lawmakers including Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, John Barrasso, and Ashley Hinson. The legislation has also seen companion legislation introduced in the House of Representatives. Hinson emphasized the importance of repealing the unconstitutional tax on certain firearm purchases, stating that it directly violates the Second Amendment. Cotton echoed these sentiments, labeling the current firearm transfer taxes as unnecessary and emphasizing the need to amend the National Firearms Act to remove the financial burdens placed on law-abiding gun owners.
The Repealing Illegal Freedom and Liberty Excises (RIFLE) Act seeks to remove the federal government’s financial barriers on the Second Amendment rights of Americans by abolishing transfer taxes on firearms regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA). The legislation, introduced by Sen. Tom Cotton and supported by other Senate Republicans, aims to eliminate Section 5811 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, effectively repealing the transfer tax for all firearms regulated by the NFA. The bill has received bipartisan support from lawmakers in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, who argue that the current taxes on firearms are burdensome and unconstitutional.
Attorney Oliver Krawczyk, specializing in Second Amendment law, described the current taxes on firearms as being similar to poll taxes and supported the legislation to abolish them. Krawczyk expressed his belief that the legislation would undermine the constitutional basis of the NFA and questioned the notion that it could be a felony to possess a short-barreled rifle or shotgun in the first place. The legislation’s supporters, including Sens. Marsha Blackburn, John Cornyn, and Markwayne Mullin, as well as other lawmakers, emphasized the importance of repealing the unconstitutional tax on certain firearm purchases, stating that it directly violates the Second Amendment.
Sen. Tom Cotton emphasized that law-abiding Americans who exercise their Second Amendment rights should not be subject to unnecessary taxes and restrictions preventing them from doing so. Cotton called the current firearm transfer taxes unnecessary and emphasized the need to amend the National Firearms Act to remove the financial burdens placed on gun owners. The RIFLE Act has been introduced as a means to remove a burdensome tax imposed on firearms regulated under the NFA without altering the existing checks and registration requirements. The bill is part of a broader effort to protect Second Amendment rights and push back against proposals that unfairly target law-abiding gun owners.
