New year, new laws

Several new laws took effect on January 1.

1. Reduced sales tax on personal hygiene products.
This includes disposable diapers and feminine hygiene products. What has been dubbed the “pink tax” by many, is the tax on female hygiene necessities such as menstrual products. Previously, the tax for these products was 6%, but the new law reduces the tax to 2.5%.

2. Changes to Standard Tax Deduction
The standard tax deduction, if filed single or married, will increase to $4,500 for single filers, and $9,000 for taxpayers who are married and filing jointly. These new deductions will hopefully provide some tax relief to low and middle class families.

“The previous tax law changes removed a bunch of tax deductions, which resulted in increased tax bills for many middle income citizens,” said economics and financial management teacher Patrick Connolly. “I think this is designed to counteract that. Lower income folks may also see some tax savings as well.”

3. A defined legal punishment for robocalls
Robocalls are now considered a crime under the Virginia Telephone Privacy Protection Act. Non-local solicitors who use local numbers to trick members of the 757 into picking a up a robocall can be charged with a Class 3 Misdemeanor with a possible $500 fine. The only way these robocalls can be prosecuted is if they are reported to the Attorney General’s office or the Better Business Bureau.