At the Tucson Gem and Mineral show in February, which is basically a
retail show, the city tax person gives you a form at the beginning
of the show and comes around near the end of the show to collect the
taxes you should have been collecting on your sales. They have
always been polite and patient and respectful of conversations with
customers. They stand and wait until you are free to talk to them.
Although you will not leave the show owing city tax.
Lee Epperson
The only irritating thing is to have to estimate your sales for
Sunday because they collect on Sunday morning.
Ray
The only irritating thing is to have to estimate your sales for Sunday because they collect on Sunday morning.
Huh? If you know what your sales were, then why would that be a
problem? They cannot collect tax on money not earned! Pay on what
you’ve earned on Sat, and send the Sunday’s tax due after that day
is finished. I’ve had sundays that didn’t garner any sales!
I’m sorry I missed the initial post on this but I have had the
experience of them trying to collect from me at a show in the Detroit
area once and in another city once. At both of them I had hideous
sales as did the other fine artists around me despite what Sunshine
Artist said…I say go with Art fair sourcebook. In both cases I
nicely explained to the inspector that I didn’t have my checkbook
with me but had a tax ID # for the state in question (often I have a
copy with me) and that I would pay it within the legal time frame.
Both times they tried to convince me to pay, I flat out asked if
there was some kind of law I was breaking and both times they went
away. I think I also threw in the comment that I understood that some
artists try to get out of paying taxes, but I wasn’t one of them. I
pay my taxes on time but estimating what is often a horrible day is
just not fair.
Karen
Our sales at Tucson this year varied wildly from one day to the next
making estimation difficult. As far as I know there is no provision
for paying the city tax after the show. You pay when they come
around and collect. At the show I had heard a rumor that they were
going to let us send the tax in after the show, but that was
incorrect.
Karen’s experience reminded me of my own-- at ACC Chicago. Someone
came to collect tax at the show. After a bit of polite questioning,
it was acknowledged that I didn’t actually have to pay it then, but
within 10 days or maybe 2 weeks. When I got home (I am local) I
called the state tax office, and was told that, although they
"reqire" payment right away. I could actually file the once a year I
always do. So I did, no complaints or repercussions. For what it’s
worth!
Noel
Several years ago I did a street fair in New Jersey. I’d never done
a show in that state. The only out of state shows I’d done were in
Maryland where the promoter arranges for temporary event licenses
for the participants, and I expected a similar arrangement here. Not
so. I’d barely set up when the state tax stormtroopers came through
to see our licenses. On learning I didn’t have one, they surrounded
me and demanded $100 cash advance tax payment. I eventually got
most of it back, since I did very poorly at that show, but I haven’t
done a show in New Jersey since, although I keep current on the
state paperwork with a lot of zeroes.
Janet Kofoed
You were actually lucky, Janet. New Jersey can and will confiscate
your stock and the vehicle you used to transport your stock to the
show if you violate their tax codes.
I don’t do shows in Jersey anymore either.
Elizabeth Schechter
RFX Studios
I think I also threw in the comment that I understood that some artists try to get out of paying taxes, but I wasn't one of them. I pay my taxes on time but estimating what is often a horrible day is just not fair.
In my opinion, estimating sales tax would be illegal . . . (doesn’t
make me right) but no one really knows how much they are going to
sell at any given time. It seems to me that those who try to
collect before the end of a show are desperate for money and it
means that the surrounding communities just aren’t paying their fair
share!
Several years ago I did a street fair in New Jersey. I'd never done a show in that state.
I’m wondering, why you didn’t apply for a vendors license in that
state before the show??? I don’t always do shows in surrounding
states, but I do have a vendor’s license for several. It’s the
professional thing to do. Doesn’t cost anything in most cases.
I didn’t apply for a vendor’s license in new Jersey because I was
fairly new at this at the time. The only other state I’d done a show
in was Maryland, which has temporary licenses which the promoter
arranged for. I had no idea how other states did these things.
Janet Kofoed