A group of Fairfax County, Virginia, restaurant owners is lining up against a possible food tax.
About 100 restaurant owners are part of a newly formed group called Stop the Food Tax. The proposal could add a tax of 1% to 6% on food and drinks prepared at restaurants and grocery stores.
Waria Salhi, is a partner with Mezeh Mediterranean Grill. He said the idea of a meals tax is a bad one.
“I think it’s crazy at this time when inflation is already high, and people are barely making ends meet, and now you hit them with this tax? I don’t think it’s right time,” Salhi said.
Fairfax County started studying the idea of the tax in late May and is expected to take action in September.
At the time of the 9-1 vote to study the tax, Supervisor Dalia Palchik said, “This is just one of those tools that I believe, at this time, we need to consider to understand the cost, the benefits, we cannot continue to rely so heavily on our real estate taxes.”
Fairfax County voters have rejected the idea of a meals tax twice. Most recently, in 2016, a 4% tax on prepared meals at deli counters, restaurants and convenience stores failed to pass.
However, a Virginia state law adopted in 2020 allows jurisdictions to put a meals tax in place without feedback from voters.
Salhi said he understands the county’s need to find other sources of revenue, but thinks if this tax is put in place it won’t decrease the other taxes people pay.
“We haven’t seen the real estate tax going down, and there’s no evidence of that going down,” Salhi said.
He said the county needs to cut costs and be more fiscally responsible.
WTOP’s Scott Gelman contributed to this report.
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