The Whitman Coin & Collectibles Expo has retained The Rasmussen Group to advocate the Expo's best interests regarding HB 206 - Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Precious Metal Bullion and Coins – Repeal under consideration by the Maryland General Assembly. This committee had a hearing on HB 206 at 1 pm, Wednesday, February 23.

Here is how you can help us get this legislation defeated:

We encourage your efforts to generate as many contacts as possible to the Legislative Membership of the House Ways & Means Committee expressing opposition to HB 206.

Legislative contacts can be made either by email or telephone or both, whichever is most convenient.

Should you contact the Legislator by phone, expect to speak to a staff member only. Telephone calls should be brief and should contain a statement in opposition to HB 206. Emails should be brief, as well, and no longer than a paragraph in length. Identify yourself as a Maryland dealer, a dealer in general, a participating coin collector from Maryland, or a visiting participating coin collector from another state. Express opposition to HB 206 - Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Precious Metal Bullion and Coins – Repeal.

Several suggested talking points are as follows:

• The sales tax exemption has been critically important to the success of the three major shows conducted at the Convention Center in Baltimore each year over the past 20 years.
• The repeal of the sales tax exemption would result in significant loss of economic benefit to both Maryland and Baltimore, since the three shows would likely be moved to a friendlier state with no sales tax.
• Not only would Maryland lose the sales tax on sales under $1,000, but the City of Baltimore would also lose significant revenue from the loss of the hotel tax on thousands of hotel-room nights per year as well as the retail and restaurant spending in Baltimore generated by the show participants.
• Respectfully request that the Ways & Means Committee vote an Unfavorable Report on HB 206.

We cannot stress enough the urgency of making these contacts now because a vote on HB 206 could be called at anytime. Thank you in advance for your help.