[Milsurplus] Hamfest Taxation

[Don Merz]

I was sent a notice once by the state of Ohio that I owed sales tax for selling at an Ohio hamfest. I threw it in the trash.

Please forgive a short rant....

I'm not against taxation. Paying Federal taxes on my income is a pleasure because it is the best bargain I get for my money--the opportunity to live in this wonderful country at so little cost. I would gladly pay much more (but don't tell them that). On the other hand.... 

Taxing second-hand goods sales is an odious practice. Let's see, I paid tax on my income to get the money to buy the thing, the company paid tax on their income from making the thing, the original buyer paid sales tax when s/he bought the thing, the original seller paid tax on their profit from selling the thing, and what? Now I'm supposed to pay tax on it the SECOND time it is purchased? No deal. The statute of reasonable taxation has expired. All the money involved from start to finish has already been taxed multiple times. Enough is enough.

73, Don Merz, N3RHT

 


----- Original Message ----
From: Ken Kinderman <scr274 at gmail.com>
To: Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
Sent: Thu, March 11, 2010 12:03:03 PM
Subject: [Milsurplus] Selling at Hamfests vs. ebay etc.

I agree with many on the list that, as disappointing as they are these days,
hamfests can be a good alternative to the hassle of ebay, packing, shipping
etc, for those of us who do it infrequently.

Question: has anyone ever run afoul of state taxing watchdogs who are said
to prowl the grounds of hamfests and other swap meets? Maybe it's just urban
legend.

But I don't think many of us carry a state business registration and tax id
number in our back pockets, not to mention accurate books showing cash
receipts and sales tax payables.

There's always ER classifieds. Ray can use the money.

Ken
W2EWL
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