NJ may get rid of sales tax on some big-ticket baby items

⚫ New Jersey's sales tax rate is 6.625%

⚫ Lawmakers say the bill can make things a bit easier for struggling families

⚫ Some baby items are already exempt from the state's sales tax

New Jersey is considering a nice financial break for new parents, and the folks who buy them gifts for the occasion.

A bill approved by a Senate committee would exempt select baby products from the state's sales tax of 6.625%.

Items like diapers and baby formula have been tax-free for decades in New Jersey, but big-ticket items have not.

"The joy of welcoming a child for new parents can be stressful and expensive, as families work to make ends meet during the state's affordability crisis," said state Sen. Kristin Corrado, R-Passaic, a sponsor of the measure. "Exempting baby necessities from the state sales tax is the least we can do to make life a little easier for new parents and families across the Garden State."

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The bill, which was approved unanimously by the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee on Thursday, specifically calls for a sales-tax exemption on the following items:

Strollers

Cribs

Child restraint systems (car seats)

Nursing bottles, nipples, and funnels

The measure has been referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, as its implementation would interrupt a tax stream that New Jersey has always been able to rely on.

An identical bill exists in the New Jersey Assembly.

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