EAGLE TRIBUNE: Mass. consumers sour on candy tax

By Christian M. Wade
This article originally appeared in the Eagle Tribune on February 27, 2025.

BOSTON — Massachusetts consumers are souring on Gov. Maura Healey’s proposal to set a “candy tax” on sugary sweets, according to a new poll from a pro-business group.

The poll, released by the pro-business group Mass Opportunity Alliance, found 64% oppose Healey’s proposal that would eliminate the state’s 6.25% sales tax exemption on candy sales, which budget writers say would drum up about $25 million in the next fiscal year.

Healey’s preliminary $62 billion budget, unveiled last month, doesn’t call for raising wholesale taxes and wouldn’t draw from the state’s reserve fund, but proposes new revenue generating plans like the candy tax, expanding tobacco taxes and lifting a cap on charitable contributions.

“Voters understand that Massachusetts’ sales tax exemption on groceries, including ‘candy and confectionery,’ serve a key role in helping to keep grocery costs in check,” pollsters wrote in a summary of the findings.

Pollsters found more than 72% of those surveyed oppose a separate Healey proposal that would allow cities and towns to raise tax limits on vehicles, lodging, and meals.

The poll results showed strong support for measures that would rein in government spending, the group said, “reflecting the growing concern amongst residents about the state’s fiscal policy and its impact on their wallets.”

Fifty-three percent of voters support implementing an annual spending limit in an attempt to prevent the growth in state spending from outpacing state revenue growth, pollsters found.

The group, which includes the Massachusetts High Technology Council and the Pioneer Institute, said the data is a wake-up call to Beacon Hill policymakers to “listen to constituents and focus on policies that promote affordability and create an environment where families and businesses can thrive.”

“The message from voters is clear: they want a government that lives within its means and respects taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars,” the group said in a statement.

Republicans and conservative groups have criticized the governor for increasing spending and taxes at a time when the state is grappling with a decline in revenues and other financial pressures, and while consumers are still struggling with higher costs for groceries and other needs.

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance blasted Healey’s proposal for “literally taking candy from a baby” as Massachusetts residents “already face some of the highest taxes in the nation.”

“This budget doubles down on the state’s addiction to higher taxes and spending at a time when residents are already feeling squeezed and leaving for more tax friendly states,” MassFiscal’s executive director Paul Craney said. “The Governor is taking a giant leap in the wrong direction.”

Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.