Links: Sales Tax News and Tips - 5/18/12

Tax Tip: Why wait for the taxing authorities to do an audit? Do one on your own terms and clean house before they do!
https://twitter.com/#!/TaxConsulting

Tax Tip: If your vendors ship goods to more than one state, check the sales tax rate they charge for each destination state.
https://twitter.com/#!/TaxConsulting

Maine ~ Sales and Use Tax: Supplemental Budget Bill Enacts Use Tax Compliance Program, Exempts Machinery and Equipment for Wood Harvesting
http://www.cchgroup.com/wordpress/index.php/tax-headlines/state-tax-headlines/maine-sales-and-use-tax-supplemental-budget-bill-enacts-use-tax-compliance-program-exempts-machinery-and-equipment-for-wood-harvesting/

West Virginia Food Sales Tax Reduction July 2012
http://www.taxrates.com/blog/2012/05/17/west-virginia-food-sales-tax-reduction-july-2012/

Virginia Sales Tax Holiday Set Tor Next Week
http://onesourceblog.com/2012/05/virginia-sales-tax-holiday-set-tor-next-week/

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This is just the best of the links I send out via Twitter on an almost daily basis.  You can get them faster by subscribing to my Twitter feed.

The Sales Tax Guy
http://salestaxguy.blogspot.com

Don't forget our upcoming seminars and webinars.
http://www.salestax-usetax.com/
Picture note: the image above is hosted on Flickr. If you'd like to see more, click on the photo.

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Links: Sales Tax News and Tips

Arizona Repeals Use Tax Declaration Requirement
http://www.taxrates.com/blog/2012/05/16/arizona-repeals-use-tax-declaration-requirement/

Sales Tax And Shipping Rates Important To Online Shoppers
http://blog.avalara.com/2012/05/15/sales-tax-and-shipping-rates-important-to-online-shoppers/

New York ~ Sales and Use Taxes: Company’s Sales of Chocolate Taxable; Insufficient Information Available to Determine Nexus
http://www.cchgroup.com/wordpress/index.php/tax-headlines/state-tax-headlines/new-york-sales-and-use-taxes-companys-sales-of-chocolate-taxable-insufficient-information-available-to-determine-nexus/

Texas Energy Star Tax Holiday Begins This Month
http://onesourceblog.com/2012/05/texas-energy-star-tax-holiday-begins-this-month/
and
http://www.taxrates.com/blog/2012/05/15/texas-energy-star-savings-calculated-for-sales-tax-holiday/

Sales Tax Isn't Why Online Retailers Are Killing Your Store
http://www.thestreet.com/story/11534709/1/sales-tax-isnt-why-online-retailers-are-killing-your-store.html

Nevada Department of Taxation Comp meals
http://tax.state.nv.us/NTCCompMeals.htm

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This is just the best of the links I send out via Twitter on an almost daily basis. You can get them faster by subscribing to my Twitter feed.

The Sales Tax Guy
http://salestaxguy.blogspot.com

Don't forget our upcoming seminars and webinars.
http://www.salestax-usetax.com/

Picture note: the image above is hosted on Flickr. If you'd like to see more, click on the photo.

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Links: Sales Tax News and Tips

Texas Amazon Tax Deal Illegal?
http://www.taxrates.com/blog/2012/05/14/texas-amazon-taxdeal-illegal/

Wisconsin Digital Goods Publication Updated
http://www.taxrates.com/blog/2012/05/11/wisconsin-digital-goods-publication-updated/

Georgia Allows Retailers To Advertise No Sales Tax
http://www.taxrates.com/blog/2012/05/11/georgia-allows-retailers-to-advertise-no-sales-tax/

Sales Tax This Week: Cloud Computing and New Legislation
http://blog.avalara.com/2012/05/11/sales-tax-this-week-cloud-computing-and-new-legislation/

May Sales & Use Changes
http://onesourceblog.com/2012/05/may-sales-use-changes/

Illinois “click-through nexus” law held unconstitutional
http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/News/20125681.htm

AL 2012 Severe Weather Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday
http://www.revenue.alabama.gov/salestax/WPSalesTaxHol.htm

State Tax Snapshot: Some States Don’t Issue, Release Private Letter Rulings
http://www.bna.com/state-tax-snapshot-b12884909372/

TN consumer sales tax increase likely related to Amazon notifications
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120514/NEWS21/120514010/TN-consumer-sales-tax-increase-likely-related-to-Amazon-notifications

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This is just the best of the links I send out via Twitter on an almost daily basis. You can get them faster by subscribing to my Twitter feed.

The Sales Tax Guy
http://salestaxguy.blogspot.com

Don't forget our upcoming seminars and webinars.
http://www.salestax-usetax.com/

Picture note: the image above is hosted on Flickr. If you'd like to see more, click on the photo.

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Great Article: Best Practices in Transaction Tax Systems Implementation

from Diane Yetter and yettertax.com

This is a VERY detailed road map to implementing a sales tax system.  It's been my experience over the years that people don't really plan these things.  Read this before you begin the process.  It's long, but detailed.  And it'll help assure you only have to do this once.  Enjoy the article

Link: Avalara Sales Tax Poll

Avalara is doing a poll on how your state should generate revenue.  There are various options and it's easy.  And if you give your email address you could win a gift card (gosh, I hope I win).  And, heck, I was able to squeeze in an internal link to the tax treatment of gift cards.  It doesn't get much better than that!

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The Sales Tax Guy
http://salestaxguy.blogspot.com

Don't forget our upcoming seminars and webinars.
http://www.salestax-usetax.com/
Picture note: the image above is hosted on Flickr. If you'd like to see more, click on the photo.  And yeah, I know it's a different kind of pole/poll, but I don't get to use that picture very often.

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Great Article: Solving the Pains of Sales Tax Returns

from Avalara

A pretty good overview of why you may wish to get rid of doing sales tax returns.  This whitepaper covers the challenges of doing them yourselves, and the benefits of outsourcing.  Yes, there's a page on Avalara, but the rest of the piece is "sales-free."  Enjoy the article.

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This link is part of a series called "Excellent articles that I wish I had written."  The short name is "Great Articles." 

The Sales Tax Guy
http://salestaxguy.blogspot.com

Don't forget our upcoming seminars and webinars.
http://www.salestax-usetax.com/
Picture note: the image above is hosted on Flickr. If you'd like to see more, click on the photo. 

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Great Article: Sales Tax Audits: Is Your Business A Target?

 

from salestaxsupport.com and Lloyd Geggatt

Want to know what your odds are of getting audited?  This piece is for you.  States need to get the most bang for their audit hour, so they analyze several different factors.  While this is specific to California, most states use a similar method.  What can you do to avoid getting audited?  Let's see: move, change businesses, or do it right!   Enjoy the article.

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This link is part of a series called "Excellent articles that I wish I had written."  The short name is "Great Articles." 

The Sales Tax Guy
http://salestaxguy.blogspot.com

Don't forget our upcoming seminars and webinars.
http://www.salestax-usetax.com/
Picture note: the image above is hosted on Flickr. If you'd like to see more, click on the photo. 

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Great Article: South Dakota Streamlined Sales Tax Certificate – NOT So Streamlined

from salestaxsupport and Silvia Aguirre

While the author beats up on South Dakota, to me this article reflects the general unwillingness of states, regulators and politicians to keep it simple.  Given just about any opportunity to complicate things, they will.  I love this quote from the article: "If two pages of instructions are needed, is this really a simplified form?"  Enjoy the article. 

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This link is part of a series called "Excellent articles that I wish I had written."  The short name is "Great Articles." 

The Sales Tax Guy
http://salestaxguy.blogspot.com

Don't forget our upcoming seminars and webinars.
http://www.salestax-usetax.com/
Picture note: the image above is hosted on Flickr. If you'd like to see more, click on the photo. 

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Great Article: Weirdest Sales and Use Taxes

from Accounting Today

I enjoy reading about weird rules.  I've tripped across many of them in my time, but there's often a new one I haven't heard of.  Usually, there are also a few in the article that look strange to someone unfamiliar with sales and use taxes, but when you look a little closer, they really do make sense. Two items mentioned in this article, the watercraft rule and the flower in the candy rule,  are actually pretty standard and kind of make sense.  But there are some, like the hot air balloon rule, that I've not seen before.  And the belt buckle rule in Texas is truly strange. Enjoy the article.

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This link is part of a series called "Excellent articles that I wish I had written."  The short name is "Great Articles." 

The Sales Tax Guy
http://salestaxguy.blogspot.com

Don't forget our upcoming seminars and webinars.
http://www.salestax-usetax.com/
Picture note: the image above is hosted on Flickr. If you'd like to see more, click on the photo. 

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Great Article: Amazon Taxes Are The REAL Hunger Games

from Forbes and Robert W. Wood

A nice, concise explanation of why Amazon has not collected taxes in the past, why buyers still have to pay them, and what the states are doing about it.  Enjoy the article. 

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This link is part of a series called "Excellent articles that I wish I had written."  The short name is "Great Articles." 

The Sales Tax Guy
http://salestaxguy.blogspot.com

Don't forget our upcoming seminars and webinars.
http://www.salestax-usetax.com/
Picture note: the image above is hosted on Flickr. If you'd like to see more, click on the photo. 

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Great Article: Delaware’s No Sales Tax Torques Pennsylvania

from Taxrates.com and Susan Mclain

Folks in Pennsylvania run over to Delaware to buy stuff tax free.  This must really bother the revenuers in PA.  But it's also a problem for MD, DC and possibly VA for the really big ticket stuff.  And New Hampshire - well, heck.  The southern end is practically a suburb of Boston.  And let's not even get started with southern Washington and Oregon. 

Plus, I gotta give props to any article where "torque" is used in the headline.  Enjoy the article. 

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This link is part of a series called "Excellent articles that I wish I had written."  The short name is "Great Articles." 

The Sales Tax Guy
http://salestaxguy.blogspot.com

Don't forget our upcoming seminars and webinars.
http://www.salestax-usetax.com/
Picture note: the image above is hosted on Flickr. If you'd like to see more, click on the photo. 

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Great Article: Sales Tax Exempt in Mississippi? A State with No Forms

from salestaxsupport.com and Silvia Aguirre

When I first came across the Mississippi web site, I found it distressingly empty of the usual stuff, including forms.  While the article gives you advice about Mississippi, to me it shows the logic that applies anytime you find yourself in a similar situation where the state offers little guidance.  Punt.  Get as much as you can that will prove your point. Enjoy the article.

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This link is part of a series called "Excellent articles that I wish I had written."  The short name is "Great Articles." 

The Sales Tax Guy
http://salestaxguy.blogspot.com

Don't forget our upcoming seminars and webinars.
http://www.salestax-usetax.com/
Picture note: the image above is hosted on Flickr. If you'd like to see more, click on the photo. 

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Great Article: Sales Tax Audit Notes: Creative Accounting I Have Seen

from salestaxsupport.com and Lloyd Geggatt

I always enjoy hearing stories from auditors, particularly about willful fraud.  This article shows the creativity of the businesses, and the diligence of the auditors.  Enjoy the article. 

PS...you should click on the picture to see it on Flickr.  I personally think the captions are hilarious.

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This link is part of a series called "Excellent articles that I wish I had written."  The short name is "Great Articles." 

The Sales Tax Guy
http://salestaxguy.blogspot.com

Don't forget our upcoming seminars and webinars.
http://www.salestax-usetax.com/
Picture note: the image above is hosted on Flickr. If you'd like to see more, click on the photo. 

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