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HF 247

A bill for an act exempting the sales price of honeybees from the state sales and use tax.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Eddie Andrews and 19 co-sponsors

Iowa exempts honeybee purchases from sales tax to reduce costs for beekeepers and support agricultural pollination capacity.

Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 1004.
#bees #livestock #prices #sales #salestaxes #taxexemptions #usetaxes
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Bill Summary · HF 247

Legislative bill overview

HF 247 (renumbered HF 1004) exempts honeybees from Iowa's state sales and use tax. The bill passed committee unanimously with 24 votes in favor and no opposition, moving through the legislative process with subcommittee and full committee recommendations for passage.

Why is this important

This tax exemption directly reduces costs for beekeepers and apiaries purchasing honeybees for commercial or hobbyist purposes. Since honeybees are critical for agricultural pollination and food production, lower acquisition costs could encourage beekeeping expansion and support Iowa's agricultural economy.

Potential points of contention

  • Revenue impact: The exemption reduces state tax revenue, though the fiscal impact on the general fund remains unclear without specific data on honeybee sales volumes in Iowa
  • Tax fairness questions: Critics may argue selective exemptions create unequal treatment—why honeybees but not other agricultural inputs or livestock purchases that currently face sales tax
  • Definitional scope: The bill's language may need clarification on what qualifies (package bees, nucleus colonies, queens only?) and whether resellers or only producers benefit

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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