Tax exemption foibles

[Sedorna]

Dear Car Wash Guy,

You are buying groceries. That's great. Oh, look, you have a sales tax license. Wonderful. You can collect sales tax at your car wash. Do you know what you can't do with it? You can't use it as a tax exemption certificate so you don't have to pay sales tax on the sodas you buy at the Grocery Store. You run a car wash. Not a school, not church, not a daycare, not a retirement community, not any number of businesses which would have reason to be exempt from paying taxes, but a frikkin car wash.

Here is what I'll do. I'll save your order and send you up to customer service, and then I'll watch a stream of higher and higher managers trying vainly to explain that you have to pay tax, and saying that Other Cashier let you do it is not going to cut it. That will be "fun".


Sincerely,

Your Cashier

[bainsidhe]

Was this a resale certificate? In many US states, sales tax is collected at the final sale, which would be the car wash customers. The car wash itself is a reseller, and can use a resale certificate to purchase goods tax free.

[MoonCat]

Was this a resale certificate? In many US states, sales tax is collected at the final sale, which would be the car wash customers. The car wash itself is a reseller, and can use a resale certificate to purchase goods tax free.

But not if they're for personal use, I would assume.

[Sedorna]

Was this a resale certificate? In many US states, sales tax is collected at the final sale, which would be the car wash customers. The car wash itself is a reseller, and can use a resale certificate to purchase goods tax free.

If I remember correctly, it just said that it was a sales tax license, not a resale certificate. Then again, I didn't actually look for the words resale certificate on them, since this was the first time I've seen that particular item. Next time something like that happens, I shall make sure to note whether or not it's resale certificate.

[morgana]

Next time something like that happens, I shall make sure to note whether or not it's resale certificate.

However, if several managers were also trying to explain this to Mr. Carwash, I would have to believe that it was NOT a resale certificate.