WASHINGTON—A major fiscal policy bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on May 22 would rescind the tax imposed on suppressors—colloquially called “silencers"—for firearms.
Suppressors are thick cylinders attached to the muzzle of firearms in order to reduce the sound produced when fired. They are popular with hunters, who seek to remain undetected by animals when shooting game, and others seeking to reduce the recoil of a shot.
Currently, suppressors are regulated by the federal government through the Tax Code. In order to purchase one, a customer has to submit an application to the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and pay a $200 transfer tax. Gun industry groups have long criticized this law, which they say does nothing to reduce gun crime.
In the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by the House on May 22, an amendment was included to reduce the transfer tax on suppressors to $0. The reduction was demanded by many gun industry groups as well as audiologists, citing the hearing protection afforded.
“Americans should not be taxed for a safety device that helps prevent irreversible damage to one of their senses while exercising their Constitutional rights,” wrote a group of organizations led by Knox Williams, the president of the American Suppressor Association, who supported the provision, in a letter to congressional leaders shared with The Epoch Times.
The reduction of the transfer tax, if eventually enacted, would still leave some regulations in place on the sale of suppressors, but harmonize them with how “long guns” are treated. Purchasers would still be subject to a National Instant Criminal Background Check System search at the point of sale when buying a suppressor.
“Conventional hearing protection alone does not always offer adequate protection from noise exposure,” wrote Amyn Amlani, the president of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, in a letter to Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.) shared with The Epoch Times. “Firearm noise suppressors can be an effective supplement.”
Suppressors are still subject to state regulation. While mostly legal for ownership and hunting, eight states have banned their use entirely, and the bill would not affect these bans.
Gun industry groups are celebrating the inclusion of this provision.
“This represents a monumental victory for Second Amendment rights, eliminating burdensome regulations,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action.
