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Missouri Senate seeks tax break for exercise

kids jumping
Jacob Fenston
/
KBIA
It's not official yet. But still good exercise.

Missouri senators have endorsed legislation intended to restore a tax exemption for exercise.

A bill given initial approval Tuesday night seeks to prevent state sales taxes from being collected on dues paid to fitness centers, gymnastics and dance studios, and other similar places.

Senators said the state Department of Revenue has been demanding large tax bills from some of those businesses. But lawmakers said they didn't intend for them to be taxed.

Missouri law charges sales tax on fees paid to places of "amusement, entertainment ... recreation, games and athletic events." The state Supreme court has interpreted that to apply to exercise and fitness clubs.

Sponsoring Sen. Bob Dixon, a Springfield Republican, said he doesn't consider exercise to be recreation or amusement.

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