Halloween in Iowa might be a little scarier than other places this year. Why? Because there's a new pumpkin tax (oooooo! scary!) in the state.
Well, it's not new exactly. The state Department of Revenue has simply decided that pumpkins should be subject to the state sales tax. That tax exempts food items, but the state has determined that the pumpkin that's sitting on your front porch isn't really food (and who can really argue that?).
If you Iowans do want to eat your pumpkin, and you don't want to pay tax for it, all you have to do is fill out an "Iowa Sales Tax Exemption Certificate" form and submit it to the state -- which sounds truly frightening.
Zach Patton -- Executive Editor. Zach has written about a range of topics, including social policy issues and urban planning and design. Originally from Tennessee, he joined GOVERNING as a staff writer in 2004. He received the 2011 Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Journalism
E-mail: zpatton@governing.com 
Written and compiled by staff writers and editors, GOVERNING View is an on-the-ground, and sometimes behind-the-scenes, look at the topics we're covering in print and online. From notes on what's up in statehouses, county courthouses and city halls, to encounters with people, places and things, GOVERNING View is a window into the side of state and local government you don't always see.
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