There is a $0.10 ammunition tax in TN? It says per individual container, if I have a sealed tin of 5.45x39, do I put 1 stamp on it or 36? What about a sealed crate with band on it? How about an unopened case of Wolf? I'm moving down there and ammunition sales makes up a decent portion of my income, so this could add up to thousands of $$$. I'd hate to get away from MI income tax and run into another.

I am not in the business, and this is just what I have heard over the years, so take it for what it's worth.

The tax revenue goes to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, so at least it's not being diverted to some liberal program.

The tax is per container, so if you sell a complete container, you only need one tax stamp.  If you break that container open and sell the individual boxes that are inside it, you need a tax stamp for each individual box.

I'm sure others can correct me, if that's not the current procedure.

The tax revenue goes to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, so at least it's not being diverted to some liberal program.


I would guess at least 50% of it is tied up in administrative stuff, trying to collect the tax and keep track of it. Maybe 10% of it gets to where it's supposed to go. What if the ammo is sold to someone out of state? I didn't see any stamps on ammo I purchased from TN wholesalers. Maybe I'll figure out a way to store it in Virginia and sell most of it out of state. I'm sure I'd have to collect VA sales tax then.

Edit to add: Tennessee, I am disappoint.

Different gun stores have been made to do different things.  I know some gun stores where it is the same as you described above, but others were required to put a stamp on the outside for each individual box in a case.  A couple of years ago, the Outpost Armory was threatened with seizure of all their cased ammo if they did not put a stamp on every individual box within the case, even though they were sealed cases and being sold as a case.  Granted, this was under the Bredesen administration, so it may have been political stuff against the Barretts, but who knows.  To this day, the Outpost puts a stamp on the outside of the case for every individual box on the inside, so a 1000rd case of Wolf ammo will have 50 tax stamps on the outside.

Unfortunately, the ammo tax has been used as a political tool, and different administrations will have different interpretation of what constitutes an "individual container."

I work for Academy in Smyrna. We opened in November last year. We were told a stamp for every individual box regardless of whether we sell it by the individual box or not.

I doubt that. You buy stamps from the TWRA and stamp every box you sell within Tennessee. If you are selling only online or mostly online with minimal sales in state you won't have to worry too much about it. There isn't really any collecting of the tax by the state, you buy the stamps and are then responsible for stamping the merchandise if it is in your sales floor, if it's not visible to the public for sale, it doesn't have to be stamped.The TWRA is completely funded by these stamps and license sales. They receive 0 tax dollars from the state.

It's stupid and I don't agree with it but it is what it is.  It's just one more fee that must be passed onto the consumer.  Rarely do you see TWRA searching for the stickers but they do once in awhile.  Normally the will give you a very stern warning if it looks like you're trying to comply.  So I slap one sticker on sealed tins and stuff like Wolf I dump in an ammo can loose with one sticker and make money on the can and ammo.

Here's the law...

 (a) All persons, firms and corporations engaged in the business of buying, selling, distributing, storing, receiving, having in possession or using shotgun shells or metallic cartridges, shall pay a special privilege tax in addition to all other taxes in an amount equal to ten cents (10cent(s)) per individual container upon all center-fire ammunition, and ten cents (10cent(s)) per individual container on all shotgun shells. A similar tax in the amount of ten cents (10cent(s)) per individual container shall be paid on all rim-fire ammunition.

Here's a link to all TN Codes. The one that pertains to this topic is near the bottom of the list under Wildlife Management.
TN Codes

Wait...

So I moved here 2 months ago and any ammo I have at home in a box needs a stamp?




Edit - I am not a retailer or seller just a user...

Nope, you are golden.  Stamps only apply to dealers.  Ammo you get from out of state is not subject to the tax.........yet!

Thanks!!

I am a dealer and what I was told by TWRA is every box must have a stamp regardless if you sell individual boxes or in case quantities.  For example, if you sell a case of ammo, you have to open the case and put a stamp on each box inside.  If you sell a case of loose ammo, then only 1 stamp is required.  The stamps are bought directly from the TWRA via credit card over the phone.