Nov. 21—Any New Year’s resolutions about keeping a careful budget will meet fresh obstacles in January, when students will begin to pay a 7.5 percent tax on meal plans and tickets to events across campus.
Meal plans and event tickets sold on North Carolina university campuses were formerly exempt from the state’s 6.75 percent sales tax, but the N.C. General Assembly repealed that exemption over the summer. The change takes effect Jan. 1.
Each county may set its own rate in addition to the statewide 6.75 percent. In Orange County, the tax will be 7.5 percent. The increase in UNC’s meal plan costs will directly reflect this change.