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Babies R Us store opens at American Dream mall in NJ
The grand opening of Babies R Us is to take place on Wednesday, July 19 at 11 a.m. at the American Dream mall.
Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com
Babies aren’t cheap.
But some relief may be on the way to New Jersey parents under a bill that has begun advancing through Trenton.
The measure would exempt some essential baby items from the state sales tax. Almost all baby gear is subject to New Jersey’s 6.625% sales tax, which adds up on higher ticket items.
First-year costs for a baby rose in recent years to more than $15,000 due mostly to inflation, with the majority going to child care and feeding, according to a survey by BabyCenter. Baby formula and baby food along with diapers are already exempt from sales tax, but strollers, cribs, car seats and bottles are not.
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Strollers can range from $40 to $60 for a basic folding model for infants and toddlers to $400 to $600 for a standard infant stroller that also separates into a car seat. Higher-end models go well above $1,000.
Basic cribs and bassinets can be bought for under $100, but many are well above.
The bill — S3248 — has bipartisan support. It was passed unanimously by the state Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee last month and will now head to the budget committee. A version has been introduced in the Assembly but no action has yet been taken. It has not yet been determined how much the state would lose in tax revenue.
Here’s what the bill would exempt from sales tax
The bill “is less than a page, but it speaks volumes to parents and guardians,” said Sen. Owen Henry, R-Middlesex, one of the bill’s co-sponsors. “It’ll make life just a little easier for our families.”
The bill would exempt these baby items:
- Cribs or any “bed or containment designed to accommodate an infant.”
- Strollers
- “Child restraint systems” also known as car seats.
- Nursing bottles, nipples, and funnels.
