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Fact check: Did Sue Minter advocate new taxes on 160 services?
October 25, 2016
By Fact Check by Ballotpedia staff
Vermont Lt. Gov. Phil Scott (R) and Democrat Sue Minter are running in the 2016 Vermont gubernatorial election. The candidates differ on how to manage the state budget, among other issues.
During a radio interview on September 15, Minter expressed interest in reconfiguring Vermont’s sales tax to broaden the base.[1] Four days later, Scott issued a press release in which he criticized Minter for “supporting the creation of a new state sales tax on over 160 services.”[2]
Is Scott’s claim accurate? Did Minter advocate a new state sales tax on 160 services?
No. In her radio remarks, Minter said she was “interested in what can we really do to lower rates by expanding the base.”[1] She did not endorse new sales taxes for over 160 services.
Background
Scott was first elected as lieutenant governor in 2010, and was re-elected in 2012 and 2014. He also represented Washington County in the Vermont State Senate from 2001 until 2010.[3]
Minter most recently served as Secretary of Vermont Agency for Transportation in 2015, following three years as deputy secretary of the agency. She represented Washington-Chittenden-1 in the Vermont House of Representatives from 2002 until 2010.[4]
Candidates’ tax policies
Vermont is not currently running a deficit; incumbent Democrat Gov. Peter Shumlin signed into law a balanced budget for fiscal years 2016 and 2017.[5][6] But management of the state budget has been a campaign issue.
Scott has said he wants to reduce the amount of money the state borrows, avoid new taxes and hold the line on spending.[7] Minter has advocated “closing loopholes for the wealthy and big corporations.”[8]
In addition, during a September 15 interview on WDEV radio, host Mike Smith asked Minter whether she would raise taxes if elected. Minter responded:
“We have a tax code now … that was really built around durable goods. And, now our economy – two-thirds of it – is really a service sector economy … We need to be thinking about the entire system. I’m interested in going back to the program that we had after the Blue Ribbon Tax Commission that really looked at, what can we do to actually lower rates by expanding the base.”[1]
Minter was referring to the Blue Ribbon Tax Structure Commission, created by the legislature in 2009 “to prepare a structural analysis of the state’s revenue system and offer recommendations for improvements and modernization and provide a longterm vision for the tax structure.”[9] The commission’s 2011 report recommended expanding sales taxes to “all consumer-purchased services with limited exceptions for certain health and education services and business to business service transactions.” Doing so, according to the commission, would raise $22.75 million a year.[9]
The report also noted that approximately 160 products and services are taxed in states with the broadest sales taxes compared to 32 in Vermont.[9] The commission in 2010 reported that Vermont has a total of 168 potentially taxable services.[10]
Conclusion
Republican gubernatorial candidate Phil Scott criticized his Democratic opponent Sue Minter for “supporting the creation of a new state sales tax on over 160 services.”[2]
We found Scott’s claim to be false. In her remarks on WDEV, Minter only expressed interest in lowering tax rates by expanding the base.[1] She did not endorse new sales taxes for over 160 services.
See also
- Fact check/Did candidate for Vermont governor Matt Dunne violate a campaign fundraising pledge?
- Fact check/Is Hillary Clinton right about guns "that end up committing crimes in New York" coming from Vermont?
- Vermont state budget and finances
- Public policy in Vermont
Launched in October 2015 and active through October 2018, Fact Check by Ballotpedia examined claims made by elected officials, political appointees, and political candidates at the federal, state, and local levels. We evaluated claims made by politicians of all backgrounds and affiliations, subjecting them to the same objective and neutral examination process. As of 2025, Ballotpedia staff periodically review these articles to revaluate and reaffirm our conclusions. Please email us with questions, comments, or concerns about these articles. To learn more about fact-checking, click here.
Sources and Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 WDEV, "Open Mike - Thursday 9/5/16," September 5, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 VTDigger.org, "Phil Scott: ‘I Will Veto a New Sales Tax on Services’," September 21, 2016
- ↑ Ballotpedia.org, "Phillip Scott," accessed October 9, 2016
- ↑ Ballotpedia.org, "Sue Minter," accessed October 9, 2016
- ↑ Vermont Department of Finances and Management, "FY 2017 Executive Budget Summary," accessed October 22, 2016
- ↑ State of Vermont: Office of Governor Peter Shumlin, "Gov. Shumlin Signs Sixth Balanced Budget," accessed October 22, 2016
- ↑ Phil Scott, "Making Vermont More Affordable," accessed October 23, 2016
- ↑ Sue Minter, "Making Our Government Work," accessed October 23, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Vermont General Assembly, "Final Report: Blue Ribbon Tax Structure Commission," accessed October 9, 2016
- ↑ Vermont General Assembly, "Blue Ribbon Tax Structure Commission, Sales Taxation of Services: Options and Issues," accessed October 14, 2016
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