Читать книгу 19 Ways to Survive in a Tough Economy - Lynn Spry - Страница 24

In almost every business, there are government, state or provincial, and local regulations that you must adhere to. Failure to follow these rules can result in anything from small, manageable fines, to suddenly having your business closed down. Unfortunately, as each area has different rules, it is often difficult to determine just what obligations your business has. Further, if your business completes sales in more than one state or province, you will need to be familiar with the laws of all the states or provinces where you do business.

Of course, the laws are not simple. The details surrounding legal decisions can seem unreasonably specific in many cases. Let’s say for example that you are the owner of a mobile vending business doing business in Arizona and you want to determine if soda is taxable. The state of Arizona actually has a specific guideline about what types of foods are taxable by mobile vendors. Further, when you look into this guideline you would find that soda can be either taxable or nontaxable depending on how it is sold. If it is being sold by a mobile vendor in a cup or open container (e.g., a fountain soda), the drink is fully taxable as the soda is considered food for consumption on the premises. If the soda is prepackaged (e.g., in a can or bottle), then it is considered a nontaxable product, which means it is not considered food for consumption on the premises. As if that weren’t specific enough, there is an additional ruling added to this guideline that food items sold in any venue that charges admission (e.g., bowling alleys, sports venues) are taxable.^[5] Subtle distinctions like these, if applicable, can be important to your business. Therefore, each rule needs to be understood thoroughly.

There are a few simple ways to get this information. The most direct is to approach your state or provincial and local government and simply ask what obligations your business has. Unfortunately since these government officials will not be familiar with all the specifics of your business, there are times when the advice you receive from these officials may not be accurate or may be out of date. As a result, you should always follow up with other business owners or the Small Business Association (SBA) to find out how these rules really apply.