8 unusual and quirky state taxes you might have to pay

The federal tax code is complicated enough for most, but apparently some state tax laws can be equally as hard to understand.

Check out these 8 unusual state tax laws according to gobankrate.com and see how they are generating tax income in ways that are strange, as well as entertaining.

Taxed on tattoos in Arkansas: If you live in Arkansas and you want to get a tattoo – you’ll pay a tax. Yep, whether it’s Spiderman or a flower on your ankle, get ready to shell out extra sales tax if want to get inked or undergo electrolysis here. Electrolysis treatments in Arkansas are taxed an extra 6 percent along with tattoos and body piercings.
Pay more on California vending machine fruit: No time to stop at a market for a ripe apple? Maybe the local vending machine where you are at has some fresh fruit options. Be forewarned though, in California if you buy fruit from a vending machine — a 33 percent tax will be added.
A cup of Joe in Colorado with a lid will cost you additional money: In the ‘Centennial State,’ all nonessential packaging in Colorado is taxed an extra 2.9 percent. While the coffee cup itself is considered essential, the plastic lid that tops it isn’t. Extra taxes are also charged on stir sticks, cup sleeves and straws.
More money for a candy fix in Illinois: Feel like a candy bar if you live in Illinois, or you are visiting the Windy City? Be prepared to pay an added tax on that mound of chocolate. According to Illinois lawmakers, if your sweet treat has no flour in it, it falls under the candy category, which adds a 6.25 percent higher sales tax.
Maine’s blueberry tax: If you didn’t know Maine’s state berry is the blueberry — which is considered a superfood — you do now. Also, Maine is pretty much the main provider of blueberries across the nation. So, the state charges an extra tax for anything related to the blueberry industry. This tax isn’t major but if you grow, purchase, sell, handle or process blueberries in the state of Maine, you must pay 1.5 cents per pound.
The big flush in Maryland: Hoping to protect the Chesapeake Bay, the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Restoration Fund in Maryland, a $5 monthly fee is added onto sewer bills and an equivalent $60 annual fee is passed on to septic system owners. Flushing a toilet in Maryland is now said to be twice as expensive as it once was.
Bundling up with fur in Minnesota could cost you: If you enjoy wrapping yourself in a warm fur coat during the winter months in Minnesota, you’ll pay to do that – in fact it will cost 6.8 percent sales tax on not only the fur, but also the shipping and transportation of it.
What stays in Nevada: The ‘Silver State’ has a loud live music tax that says Nevada businesses must pay a 5 to 10 percent sales tax on admissions, food, drink and merchandise to the state whenever there is live entertainment happening. This can include anything from animal stunt performances to comedy and magic shows. Uncompensated, short performances, however, are tax-free — meaning you can sing walking down the Vegas Strip at the top of your lungs for free.