[NR] looking for info for Tax info dealing with merchants

[Cellach Ferguson]

Burke is correct.  It's not the $50 fee or even the fees that the individual
merchants must pay that's killing us.  Rather, it's the potential to have to
act as a tax collector.  I'd prefer not to be an agent of the State of
Oklahoma.

At Namron Protectorate, we did have merchants.  However, we were not
prepared to have anyone merchant that didn't already hold an Oklahoma Tax
Permit.  We simply were NOT about to be in the "revenuein' business".

When I spoke to the State about it, they said they were caught by surprise.
Apparently, groups like the SCA were never the target of the law.  They did,
however, lump us in and now have to deal with it.  The OK tax commission is
snowed under.  The only thing they can manage to do (of course) is to accept
our fee payments.

Cellach Ferguson

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Burke McCrory" <bmccrory at oktax.state.ok.us>
To: "Northern Region of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <northern at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 6:47 PM
Subject: Re: [NR] looking for info for Tax info dealing with merchants


> At 06:14 PM 1/30/2004, you wrote:
> >Upon rereading this I do have a suggestion if people would listen and
hear
> >me out. I am for one willing to help but not be.... swept under the mat
so I
> >can not merchant anymore. Why not impose a slight and I do mean slight
extra
> >fee on merchants to help cover the cost of the 50$ fee the sca is being
> >charged for merchants (the local office said this is the first time they
had
> >ever heard of this because to quote them the SCA isnt what is prospering
> >over the merchants and since the SCA is a non profit group are supposed
to
> >be outside the new taxlaw). And for my earlier post I apologize I thought
> >you were saying we had to pay the 50$. but still honestly how has this
> >affected merchanting in Oklahoma?
> >
> >Chass of Rundel
>
>
> Chass,
>
> I don't know who the local tax office is that you spoke with, but I would
> like to know.  What they told you is not what our Tax Policy division is
> saying.  They are the ones who are charged with interpreting the Tax Laws
> and writing up the rules and procedures.  The Law affects the SCA in three
> ways.  First the way it is written, the SCA must obtain a Permit that
costs
> $50 to allow merchants to sell things at one of our events.  Yes, this can
> be offset by a simple merchant (Table) fee.  Secondly, we must track and
> record all merchants that setup to do business at the event.  Lastly, If
> the merchant has an Oklahoma Tax Permit all we have to do is record that
> they were there doing business.  BUT if the merchant does not have a
> Oklahoma Tax Permit, then we must collect their daily sales tax receipts
> and send them in to the Tax Commission.  This puts us in the position of
> being an agent of the state and makes us liable for the actual sales tax
> receipts turned over to us for remittal to the state.  Either way we also
> have to file a report with the Tax Commission listing all of the vendors
> that did business (whether they sell anything or not).  These are the
areas
> where the concern over reporting on time comes in.  It is one thing for a
> group to not send in their SCA event report on time or forget to send in
> the Site Wavier.  It is something else entirely to not file a Tax Report
or
> remit Tax moneys on time.  This law is not well liked by a lot of people
> and I would suggest to anyone that the best corse of action is to contat
> your legislature member and see about getting the law changed.
>
>
> Sir Burke
>
>
>
>
> Burke McCrory
> Internet Administrator
> Oklahoma Tax Commission
> bmccrory at oktax.state.ok.us
>
> These opinions are my own and should
> not be construed to be those of my employer.
>
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