House Bill No. by Representative Bryant amends existing Louisiana law to expand sales and use tax exemptions for commercial fishing ventures to include licensed charter boat fishing guides. Specifically, it modifies R.S. 47:305.20(A) and (C)(1) to state that a Louisiana resident with a valid charter boat fishing guide license is considered a commercial fisherman for tax exemption purposes. This change allows charter boat fishing guides to benefit from the same tax exemptions currently available to commercial fishermen, which include exemptions from sales, use, lease, and service taxes on vessels primarily used for commercial fishing.

Additionally, the bill enacts R.S. 56:302.9(K), which explicitly recognizes licensed charter boat fishing guides as commercial fishermen eligible for tax exemptions under R.S. 47:305.20. The bill also removes an outdated reference to processing facilities that were previously eligible for tax exemptions, streamlining the law to reflect current practices. Overall, the legislation aims to support charter boat fishing guides by aligning their tax treatment with that of traditional commercial fishermen.

Statutes affected:
HB149 Original: 47:20(A)