Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., recently introduced a bill that would abolish a tax levied on certain firearms. (Getty Images)
"The RIFLE Act does not modify the current checks and registration; it solely removes the federally mandated financial burden on law-abiding gun owners," the press release adds.
Speaking to Fox News Digital on Wednesday, Ambler Law attorney Oliver Krawczyk said that the current taxes on firearms are "indistinguishable from poll taxes." The lawyer, who specializes in Second Amendment law, called the legislation "a step in the right direction."
"This would undermine the constitutional basis of the NFA altogether, because it’s a purported exercise of Congress’s enumerated taxing power," Krawczyk added. "But the Founders would have scoffed at the notion that it could be a felony to possess a short-barreled rifle or shotgun in the first place."
The tax has been $200 since 1934, a sum that is equal to nearly $4,700 in 2024 dollars. (Getty Images)
"Law-abiding Americans who exercise their Second Amendment rights should not be subject to unnecessary taxes and restrictions preventing them from doing so," Cotton said. "Passed into law in 1934, the National Firearms Act needs to be amended. Our legislation will remove the red tape that places an undue financial burden on would-be gun owners."
Andrea Vacchiano is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. You can follow her on X at @andrea_vacch or send story tips to andrea.vacchiano@fox.com.
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