Legislation would establish federal tax holiday for grocery, convenience store employees

Legislation recently introduced in the state House would establish a federal tax holiday for grocery and convenience store employees from Feb. 15 to June 15 for those making less than $75,000 annually.

The Giving Retailers and Our Convenience Employees Relief (GROCER) Act would also provide the Treasury Department the discretion to extend this benefit for an additional three months.

“Grocery and convenience store workers are among the unsung heroes of our battle with COVID-19 and have played a vital role in the national food supply chain,” said Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Armstrong County), who co-introduced the bill, said. “The GROCER Act is a simple way of saying ‘thank you’ to the men and women who put themselves on the front lines, sanitizing, stocking, and serving communities by putting a little more of their hard-earned money back in their paychecks.”

Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Center City, West, and Northwest Philadelphia) also introduced the bill.

Grocery and convenience store employees are on the front lines, Evans said. The bill would help employees financially and would be a thank-you to these vital workers, he said.

The bill has the support of the National Grocers Association, the National Association of Convenience Stores, and the National Association of Truckstop Operators.