A few weeks ago, the price of tanning went up by 10%. If you're a heavy tanner, that can add more than $100 to your annual bill. Local business are striking back: offering rebates to offset the coast of the new tax.
Sun-kissed beauty is priceless, but you can imitate it by going to tanning salons and paying anywhere from $30-$100 month. That was until a couple of weeks ago when a new federal tax upped the price by 10 %.
"Some of our customers have actually turned away because it is just not something they can afford at this time," said Melissa Green of Pro-Tan. The North Dallas salon is offering some incentives to help customers keep their tans, while other business like Palm Beach Tan are offering to eat the tax by offering their premier members a credit equal to the increase. It is a risky move that University of Texas at Dallas dean of executive education Jerry Hoag does not agree with.
"If they offered the rebate generally, then they are looking at a 10% cut on their bottom line. 10% of their revenue. on their bottom line that could be their whole margin," said Professor Hoag.
Supporters of the tan tax say it will discourage tanners and thereby lower the risk of skin cancer. While the American Cancer Society has no official position on the tan tax, it cautions:
- Use of tanning devices before 30 increase the risks of melanoma by 75% - This year 11,600 deaths are expected from skin cancer - More than two thirds of those skin cancer deaths are from melanoma
One local mom knows the pain of skin cancer. When her daughter "was a teenager she would spend her lunch hours going to the tanning salons, I didn't realize how dangerous they were," Donna Regan told the 33 News. Her daughter Jaime developed skin cancer in her twenties. By 29 she was dead "She loved life. She wanted to live, but unfortunately, "She didn't live very long," said Regan.
Opponents of the tan tax don't believe her death was a direct result of tanning salons and insist if it was a direct result why not outlaw tanning all together?
"If something is really bad for you then lets get rid of it. Taxing it is merely is an excuse to gain revenue for the government," said professor Hoag. Melissa Green believes the tan tax unfairly targets women. "Our industry is about 70% female as is our workforce in the same industry." Women who may now be caught up in a political struggle tempted by beauty and frighten by the threat of disease.
Sun-kissed beauty is priceless, but you can imitate it by going to tanning salons and paying anywhere from $30-$100 month. That was until a couple of weeks ago when a new federal tax upped the price by 10 %.
"Some of our customers have actually turned away because it is just not something they can afford at this time," said Melissa Green of Pro-Tan. The North Dallas salon is offering some incentives to help customers keep their tans, while other business like Palm Beach Tan are offering to eat the tax by offering their premier members a credit equal to the increase. It is a risky move that University of Texas at Dallas dean of executive education Jerry Hoag does not agree with.
"If they offered the rebate generally, then they are looking at a 10% cut on their bottom line. 10% of their revenue. on their bottom line that could be their whole margin," said Professor Hoag.
Supporters of the tan tax say it will discourage tanners and thereby lower the risk of skin cancer. While the American Cancer Society has no official position on the tan tax, it cautions:
- Use of tanning devices before 30 increase the risks of melanoma by 75% - This year 11,600 deaths are expected from skin cancer - More than two thirds of those skin cancer deaths are from melanoma
One local mom knows the pain of skin cancer. When her daughter "was a teenager she would spend her lunch hours going to the tanning salons, I didn't realize how dangerous they were," Donna Regan told the 33 News. Her daughter Jaime developed skin cancer in her twenties. By 29 she was dead "She loved life. She wanted to live, but unfortunately, "She didn't live very long," said Regan.
Opponents of the tan tax don't believe her death was a direct result of tanning salons and insist if it was a direct result why not outlaw tanning all together?
"If something is really bad for you then lets get rid of it. Taxing it is merely is an excuse to gain revenue for the government," said professor Hoag. Melissa Green believes the tan tax unfairly targets women. "Our industry is about 70% female as is our workforce in the same industry." Women who may now be caught up in a political struggle tempted by beauty and frighten by the threat of disease.
