Posted on 07/30/2009 8:21:23 AM PDT by Cheap_Hessian
PROVIDENCE — State tax officials have put more than 1,200 businesses across the state on notice this week that they are out of business unless they pay their overdue sales taxes immediately.
For most, that action came in the form of a personal visit from the state Division of Taxation, ordering business owners to lock their doors at once.
By Wednesday, a line of people had queued up inside the Department of Administration building on Smith Hill, waiting their turn to plead their case to a state revenue agent. Some were angry. Others frustrated.
“I understand the state needs money, but to put pressure on the small guy or the moderate guy that’s struggling, it’s not going to do any good,” said Mike Suriani, who owns an electrical supply company in South Providence.
In Suriani’s case, it may have been a bookkeeping error that landed him in the three-hour line. Suriani says he paid his taxes in full — albeit a little late –– and had copies of the cancelled checks from the state showing he had indeed turned over the sales taxes he collected.
But that didn’t keep taxation officials from appearing at his door Tuesday demanding that he close up shop.
“Yes, the rules state that we have a responsibility to pay our bills every quarter. But when your customers come in and they don’t pay you for a month, and then another month, and another month, businesses have no choice [in] the eyes of the state but to close up and get out,” Suriani said.
(Excerpt) Read more at projo.com ...
I have this mental image of a monster eating itself.
I don’t really have an easy answer about collecting overdue taxes, but I do know that shutting down businesses won’t help end recessions. Of course, I guess this goes back to the problem of taxation in the first place.
This is exactly what will happen if we get the so-called “fair tax”.
The results of “voting in your own economic best interest”. Like Michigan and California.
I think the solution is to shut down the gubmnt, not the businesses.
too funny...(I’m not sure if I want to laugh or cry)
I strongly doubt that NONE of these business people voted Democrat, don’t you?
The Gerald Celente prophecies are starting to come true.
R. I. taxes rates are the state’s reward to those who live there.
My sister-in-law who is a small business owner in RI is an Obambi lover to the nth degree - if I didn’t think it would cause a HUGE family rift, I’d ask her how the “hope ‘n change” is working for her now? She’s a good person who has a big ring in her nose when it comes to dims and politics.
But...but...but the market is up.
IMHO another big crash coming this fall folks.
Yeah...I live in RI and your sister-in-law is pretty much the norm here...
Sounds like you need a “huge family rift” to me.
Taxation is legalized extortion.
Aw, what's a few businesses here and there?? It's the TAX REVENUE that the marxists need and they'll just get their tax revenues from the businesses that remain!!!
/sarc
Come on, what businesses are really closing down? I mean, if it’s the hot dog stand in Olneyville, they can just change the name on the trailer and move to North Providence. I mean really, let’s drive by each of the businesses if you can name them and actually establish that they even have an office instead of just a letterhead. Then, let’s see exactly what they are losing? Textron? Rhode Island Hospital? Divisions of Balfour? Electric Boat? I don’t think so.
obama will save them.
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