This would be defensible if US teenagers weren\u2019t struggling with literacy at least as much as Danish teens. One-third of US eighth graders now score \u201cbelow basic\u201d in reading, according to the National Assessment Governing Board\u2019s latest report card<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yet in Mississippi, for example, a paperback purchase is taxed at the same 7% rate as a fast food order. And Mississippi isn\u2019t alone. While some states have exemptions for textbooks, most states subject ordinary books to the ordinary sales tax rate.<\/p>\n The economic burden may seem small\u2014paying 7% on a $10 paperback would only raise the price to $10.70. But it signals a lack of policy focus on literacy that has contributed to a measurable decline in US youth\u2019s reading skills.<\/p>\n Exempting books from VAT or sales tax won\u2019t resolve a literacy crisis overnight, but it does lower a barrier. It elevates books to a public good, not a private indulgence. And it opens space for further social investment such as library expansions, reading programs, author subsidies<\/a>, and literacy campaigns.<\/p>\n We should view literacy as more than the sole responsibility of individual parents or teachers. Like roads, electricity, and clean water, access to reading should be universal, subsidized, and tax-free.<\/p>\n \u2014Andrew Leahey<\/p>\n Bookshelves of library books stand reflected in the media center of an elementary school.<\/p>\n Photographer: John Moore\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Welcome to the Week in Insights for Bloomberg Tax\u2019s latest analysis and news commentary. This week, experts analyzed the tax implications of Taylor Swift\u2019s engagement to Travis Kelce, the Trump tax law\u2019s impact on New York City high-income taxpayers, and more.<\/p>\n The Exchange<\/a>\u2014It\u2019s where great ideas on tax and accounting intersect.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n