GOP Budget Bill Would Repeal Tax on Firearm Suppressors

WASHINGTON—A major fiscal policy bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on May 22 would rescind the tax imposed on suppressors—colloquially called “silencers”—for firearms. Suppressors are thick cylinders attached to the muzzle of firearms in order to reduce the sound produced when fired. They are popular with hunters, who seek to remain undetected by animals when shooting game, and others seeking to reduce the recoil of a shot. Currently, suppressors are regulated by the federal government through the Tax Code. In order to purchase one, a customer has to submit an application to the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and pay a $200 transfer tax. Gun industry groups have long criticized this law, which they say does nothing to reduce gun crime....