Local business owners skeptical about proposed tax increase for tanners

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Local owners fear that a proposed 10 percent tax increase on tanning could significantly affect their businesses.

The U.S. Senate recently approved a version of the Health Care Reform bill, which includes a 10 percent tax increase to all indoor tanning services. Some tanning salon owners worry that if the provision makes it into the final bill and is approved, they may have to raise prices and risk losing customers.

“We haven’t had a price increase in five years and we’re hoping we won’t have to now,” said Jeff Ledford, owner of ImageSun Tanning Center, 4445 E. Blue Grass Road. “We try to keep our costs as low as we can for consumers.”

Ledford said he would do everything he could not to pass the extra expense to customers.

Mike LaPoe, owner of B Tan, 1620 S. Mission St., does not want to speculate on possible effects if the bill makes it all the way through Congress, because the specifics are still unclear. His only concern is his customer base — mostly college students, who generally do not have a lot of money.

Still, some students are determined to maintain their skin no matter what the cost.

“I would still go either way,” Macomb sophomore Nicole Seiberling said of trips to the tanner. “I would be willing to pay more to stay tan.”

Putting up a fight

Ledford and LaPoe said their tanning salons are still working to stop the legislation from passing in order to help their businesses and save customers money.

“We’re sending in petitions to fight it the best we can,” Ledford said. “A lot of tanning stores are even giving free tans to people who write a letter to their Congressman about it.”

ImageSun has not started the program yet, but Ledford said it is a possibility for the future.

LaPoe said everyone he knows has been contacting their Congressmen and protesting the legislation as much as possible. Neither owner could say how much prices would change if the legislation survives.

Carly Zilke said the tax likely would not affect her decision to tan, but she thinks it is unfair.

“I think it’s bad because taxing tanning is just the start of things that will be acceptable to tax if the bill goes through, such as trans fats, pop and hydrogenated oils,” the Clayton senior said. “It is simply a personal choice that the government should stay out of.”

Seiberling said if the government is going to tax something that negatively affects health, there are more important things to worry about.

“There are a lot bigger problems, like smoking, that could be targeted instead of tanning,” she said.