“Spirits are the only product on our shelves that the list price is not what shows up when you go to pay for it at the register. There is no reason the list price should be different than what you are paying. We are asking retail liquor stores to price liquor with all the taxes, except the sales tax, just like any other product you would buy at the store,” said Condotta. “It is disappointing we need legislation to address this. However, this would stop certain stores from incomplete or various pricing practices.”
The bill would:
- require a licensed spirits retailer to display to the public the total sale price for each container or package of spirits offered for sale to the consumer, inclusive of all state and federal taxes and fees, except state and local sales taxes.
- require the total sale price be displayed in the location in the store most likely to be seen and understood by the consumer.
- define “total sale price” to mean the actual dollar amount that the consumer must pay to the retailer at the time of completion of the retail sales transaction, including all state and federal taxes and fees, except state and local sales taxes.
“The goal is a set of uniform standards on how retail spirits prices are disclosed. Consumers want to know what they are paying and be able to shop for the best price. It is difficult to do that when we have some stores posting or advertising misleading prices,” Condotta said.
The bill is now headed to the Senate for consideration.
The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn the 60-day session on March 8.