TIOL-DDT 1014 · Thursday, 18 December 2008 · story 4 of 5

Service Tax on Hair Cut - New York Stunned

New York Governor Paterson has proposed a tax on the trim and the Gym. And the State is aghast, except of course nearly a lakh bald man. If his proposal goes through the Senate and the Assembly, barbers in New York will have to pay a tax on every head they handle.

"I've been in the business for 32 years, I've been cutting hair for 32 years and I never thought I'd see a tax on haircuts; It's going to create a lot of paperwork for us and the consumer's the one that has to pay for it. It just seems unfair." said a barber whose disbelief is coupled with frustration.

When our own PC introduced Service Tax on barbers, there was hardly any whimper.