Wedding Photojournalist, Rob Rife, posted a great thread on DWF. He outlines his insight and experience with state sales tax. Check out the post below, as well as his website and blog.
“I just received a phone call from the lovely state of Ohio.
Some tips…
If you think you’re flying under the radar…you are not. They know about you. They watch message boards, they read magazine ads, they shop you, or the guy up the street ratted you out.
If you get caught screwing around and not collecting and remitting sales tax…they will make your life more miserable than you can imagine.
If you don’t collect sales tax bacause you’re shipping out of state…you better have shipping receipts.
If you think you can seperate product from service because you feel the law is vague…good luck. The state doesn’t think it’s vague at all.
Have a fully documented paper trail of every taxable transaction.
If you play by the rules…an audit is a pain in the ass, but not too scary.
If you’re playing games…you’ll get caught and then it’s gonna be VERY scary.
The simple truth is…play by the rules and you should be fine. Don’t know what the rules are…talk to a pro. DO NOT rely on the advice of your aunt or a bunch of photographers. They’re not going to pay your fines for you.”
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For California based photographers, check out the State’s Board of Equalization website here
