Advocacy group urges Alabama lawmakers to remove grocery tax

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Alabamians struggling to pay for groceries could soon get some additional relief.

In the current legislative session, Alabama lawmakers plan to vote on HB-15, which would remove the state’s grocery tax. Some believe the tax takes too big a bite out of grocery budgets.

“When you think about $10 out of every $100 they’ve got to spend on groceries going to taxes, that’s a significant amount for someone who is struggling to feed their family,” said Jamie Harding with AARP Alabama.

Currently, the state taxes shoppers 4% at the grocery store, and that does not include local taxes.

AARP supports a grocery tax cut. The group advocates for older adults, a demographic they say was particularly hard hit by inflation.

“Especially those who are 65 and older, who are living almost entirely on Social Security, this has been a real hardship for them,” Harding added.

The advocacy group also believes removing the grocery tax would help impoverished families afford more nutritious food.

“They can actually have the option for spending some of that money on some fresh produce,” she said.

Alabama’s grocery tax contributes about $500 million yearly to the state’s education trust fund budget. Some lawmakers may oppose cutting the tax because of this.

If the tax is eliminated, AARP says the public would likely see another tax take its place.

“We just want to ensure that that tax, whatever it may be, if it exists, doesn’t land disproportionately on people who are older and have limited means,” Harding said.

AARP says Alabama is one of 13 states that tax food.

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