New York City has been known to have some wacky laws, but were you aware that there’s actually a very real “bagel tax” that’s been in place since around 2010? That’s right, every time you’ve ordered your bagel in the past decade, about 8¢ has been going to the city.
Whether you get it smothered with schmear, loaded with your classic baconeggandcheese, or even simply sliced in half, the tax applies. That’s because the bagels have been “altered” by slicing them, according to reports dating years back.
A document on the city’s sales tax on sandwiches explains that “a sandwich can be as simple as a buttered bagel or roll.”
So in honor of tax season, and to appease the frustrated New Yorkers who were aware of the bagel tax (yes, there’s even a community petition to end the tax), Philadelphia Cream Cheese has teamed up with H&H Bagels to offer the first-ever “tax-free bagel.” In order to evade the tax requirement, the limited-edition bagel is stuffed rather than sliced and smeared.
“In today’s landscape, people are juggling enough hurdles, and having to pay an extra tax to enjoy their favorite bagel with Philly cream cheese should simply not be one of them,” said Keenan White, Senior Brand Manager, Philadelphia at Kraft Heinz Company. “A bagel with Philly cream cheese is an experience that so many know and love, so in partnership with H&H bagels, we wanted to provide a delicious solution to this silly tax in a way that kept the enjoyment of our brand at its core, literally.”
Hungry customers can get their tax-free bagel in three of H&H’s best-selling flavors: Plain, Everything and Cinnamon Raisin. The tax-free bagel will be available at all Manhattan H&H locations and for national delivery at HHBagels.com from Friday, April 14 through Tax Day, Tuesday, April 18 while supplies last.
“We know first-hand that bagels and cream cheese are the perfect pairing and want to show appreciation for our fans’ continued support by introducing the Tax-Free Bagel – because we believe nobody should be taxed for the simple pleasure of an H&H bagel with Philly cream cheese,” said Jay Rushin, CEO, H&H Bagels.