In the scramble to figure out how to pay for the health care bill, the senate has replaced a proposed 5% tax on elective plastic surgery procedures with a 10% tax on tanning bed services. The tanning tax is projected to raise 2.7 billion over 10 years compared to 5.8 billion the elective cosmetic surgery tax would have raised. . It’s interesting that a 5% tax on cosmetic surgeries would have raised around TWICE the money than TWICE the tax, 10%, on tanning services will.

I guess you could consider it a sin tax in a way – excessive tanning, be it by the sun or tanning beds, is proven to be dangerous. Still, this article, nytimes.com/2009/12/24/fashion/24Skin.html, sounds as though plastic surgeons and dermatologists had more lobbyists and such behind them than did tanning bed operators.

When all is said and done, neither tanning beds or elective cosmetic surgery such as breast enlargements, botox, liposuction and so on are necessities. All of it is done to enhance appearance – at least in the eyes of the service receivers. In my opinion both should have a 5% tax.

Fear not people! Those who can afford can still sun themselves until their heart is content then rush over for their botox injections to hide those wrinkles sunning causes….

I wonder what businesses are next in line for tax increases….