Iowa to Tax Jack-O’-Lanterns

 When I first started reading this story, I assumed that the reason Iowa was instituting a jack-o’-lantern tax was something to this effect: Jack-o’-lanterns decay, and when they decay they let off noxious fumes, these fumes rise into the air causing our atmosphere to raise in temperature, this causes the ice caps to melt, which in turn kills the polar bears and floods North America.

 But that is not the case. Iowa has a six percent sales tax, but food is exempt from sales tax. So Iowa has decided that since most people don’t eat pumkins, they carve them, pumkins should be subject to sales tax.

 What happens if you want to make a pumpkin pie, do you still have to pay sales tax? No, you may fill out an Iowa Sales Tax Exemption Certificate and be tax free. How much money do you think it costs the state of Iowa to print the certificates and enforce the law? Could you ever envision a time in this country when before you buy a food you have to certify that you are going to eat the food or you will be taxed?