:: Netmarcos' Notes ::

:: Monday, June 30, 2003 ::

In the great state of Ohio, several new additions to the tax code take effect tomorrow. Some are mundane, such as a 1% increase in the state sales tax, huge increases in licensing fees for motor vehicles, hunting and fishing licenses and such, while others are truly brilliant. There are a few transactions that have not been subject to sales tax in the past that will no longer carry that stigma. Among these are dry-cleaning, real-estate commissions, and automobile trade-ins. Oh, yes! No more will the ungrateful citizens of Ohio be allowed to skirt the payment of sales tax on the sale of the family car by trading the thing in to the dealer. That is just a silly way to hide the sale of the car! Tax them all I say!

No, wait. If I sell the car, doesn't the buyer pay the tax? What are you? Nuts or something? Of course any tax due in the transaction will be passed back to you as the buyer of the new car. Did you think that the dealership would be able to write that off?

Alright. I can almost follow the perverted logic that led to the creation of this tax, even though I find it to be immoral, if not illegal. On the issue of Realtor commissions, however, I am completely confused. How can the state regard the income of the real estate agent (which is income?) as a sales transaction on which tax is due? Would this also be applied to all commission sales situations? Will this lead to the appliance salesman at your local Sear's having to pay tax on the commission he earns on the sale of a new refrigerator? This is complete lunacy.

:: Mark 2:16 PM [+] ::
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