NRF launches campaign highlighting consumer cost of border adjustment tax

WASHINGTON – The National Retail Federation today launched a television, print and digital ad campaign to educate Americans on the high consumer cost of the border adjustment tax. The BAT is included in the House Republican leadership’s “Better Way” plan for tax reform. While NRF strongly supports tax reform, the BAT is bad tax policy that would increase costs on everyday necessities like food, gas, clothing and prescription medicines for the average family by as much as $1,700 in the first year alone.

NRF’s new “As Seen on TV” campaign includes high-profile television spots in influential political and entertainment programs.


“American consumers are being asked to foot the bill for a new $1 trillion tax giveaway for multinational companies, and this campaign will make sure those paying for it know it,” NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French said. “We need tax reform that rewards entrepreneurs and allows businesses to grow and create good-paying jobs that lift working families up. The BAT does just the opposite, penalizing Americans by adding a tax on clothing, food, gas and other necessities while threatening the very industry that 42 million hardworking men and women rely upon for their livelihoods.”

"American consumers are being asked to foot the bill for a new $1 trillion tax giveaway for multinational companies, and this campaign will make sure those paying for it know it."

David French
Senior Vice President for Government Relations

The TV spot can be viewed on the campaign landing page, bat.tax, and will air starting today on the Fox News Channel’s morning program, “FOX and Friends,” and during the NBC show “Saturday Night Live” this Saturday, March 4. The television ads will be supported with a digital and print campaign and will encourage consumers to contact their members of Congress to express opposition to the border adjustment tax.

The BAT threatens America’s largest private-sector employer, putting at risk millions more jobs than it would allegedly create for manufacturing. Retailers support one out of four U.S. jobs, or 42 million positions — but a BAT could cause retailers to see tax bills three to five times the amount of their profits, threatening to drive some merchants out of business. The small retailers that make up 98 percent of the retail industry and provide 40 percent of its jobs would be at the biggest risk. 

National Retail Federation
TV :60
“AS SEEN ON TV” 

Too much dough got you feeling low?
Too much cash breaking your back?
Then you need … the BAT TAX!
The all-new BAT TAX is specially designed to make your disposable income -- disappear!
You’ve got sales tax, property tax, income tax, payroll tax, federal tax, state tax, local tax…
Ordinary taxes alone just won’t cut it!
You need an EVERYTHING TAX like the BAT TAX!
I
t’ll tax your car, your food, your gas, your medicine, your clothes
-- you name it, BAT will TAX IT!
And that’s not all. As a special bonus, we’ll include the new job-killing formula – for free! 
You’ll get it all -- the income-chilling, tax-bringing, job-killing BAT TAX.
Don’t delay, call Congress today! Staffers are standing by.
Visit our website at bat.tax to learn more. That’s B-A-T-dot-T-A-X.
The BAT Tax – don’t forget, the “T” stands for Tax.

About NRF
The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association. Based in Washington, D.C., NRF represents discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF.com