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HB 6365

AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- RETAIL DELIVERY FEE

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jennifer Boylan and 9 co-sponsors

HB 6365 establishes a new retail delivery fee or tax in Rhode Island to capture revenue from delivery service transactions, affecting consumer costs and platform economics.

05/29/2025 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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Bill Summary · HB 6365

Legislative bill overview

HB 6365 proposes to establish a taxation framework for retail delivery services in Rhode Island. The bill would create a new fee or tax structure applied to delivery transactions, likely to generate state revenue while potentially regulating the growing delivery economy. Specific rate and implementation details would determine whether this targets all deliveries or specific service categories.

Why is this important

Retail delivery services have become a major economic sector but currently operate in a largely unregulated tax environment in Rhode Island. This bill represents an attempt to capture tax revenue from this growing market and establish clearer fiscal accountability. The outcome will affect consumer costs, delivery platform profitability, and state budgets that depend on these revenues.

Potential points of contention

  • Consumer cost impact: Whether the fee is passed to consumers as a surcharge or absorbed by platforms, ultimately affecting pricing and affordability of delivery services
  • Business competitiveness: Concerns that Rhode Island-specific fees could disadvantage local delivery services or push consumers toward out-of-state options
  • Revenue allocation: How collected fees will be used and whether they're justified by actual regulatory costs or represent a general revenue grab
  • Definitional scope: Uncertainty about which services qualify (food delivery, groceries, retail goods, etc.) and whether gig economy workers are affected

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

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