Scouting Friends:

Proposed Georgia legislation would require a sales tax on all nonprofit fundraisers in Georgia including GIRL SCOUT COOKIE and BOY SCOUT POPCORN SALES.  This significant financial impact would take money away from Girl Scout programs, camp support, financial aid and proceeds from the sale that support troop activities and community service projects.

This issue is being considered RIGHT NOW, so please contact your State House Representative and State Senator TODAY and express your concern in a courteous, Scout-like manner about our Scouts being taxed. Please reference House Bill 385. Sample letters have been provided on the left to make it easy to copy and paste into your own email.  There are sample letters for girls as well as for parents and volunteers.  

House Bill 385 is a part of the 2010 Special Council on Tax Reform eliminating various nonprofit sales and use tax exemptions and specifically calls out the cookie and popcorn fundraisers by Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. 

The consequences of this legislation: 

• Requiring our Scouts to collect sales tax is not fair and not feasible.
• A portion of the funds earned by our Scouts for their many leadership, camping and community service programs would be diverted to pay sales tax.
• Hundreds of children especially in rural or financially distressed areas will not be able to participate in Scouting due to a reduction of services resulting from these sales taxes.
• Camps are likely to be stressed due to reduced funding. 
• The administrative burden placed on councils to remit payment of sales taxes to taxing authorities would divert limited financial resources away from program support.   

Please voice your opinion on this issue.  Contact your State Representative and State Senators TODAY in a courteous, Scout-like manner regarding House Bill 385.  See the left column for a link to find your elected officials.  Thank you for your support.    

Yours in Scouting,

Marilyn W. Midyette

CEO

Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta