Owner of Wise Guys Pizza in Buffalo sentenced to 5 years over unpaid sales taxes

[Timpanogos Slim]

5 years probation anyway

https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/crime/buffalo-pizzeria-owner-sentenced-for-not-paying-nearly-300k-in-sales-tax-jason-w-seefeldt/71-d9fcbfb2-7b65-481f-833e-6e898f0bb2fb

[Pizza_Not_War]

NY Sales tax bureau doesn't mess around. In a past life I had lots of dealings with them and they have so many ways of catching cheats.

[Timpanogos Slim]

Someone did the math and estimated that no sales tax was remitted for about 50 pizzas per day for the time period he's in trouble over.

He also lied about his income and failed to pay a lot of income tax, so he's got almost half a million in restitution to pay.

[TXCraig1]

We have crazy sales tax laws in Texas. For example, food is not taxable unless it's prepared and served in a restaurant or sold ready-to-go in which case it's taxable unless it's a bakery/donut shop in which case it's non-taxable unless it's served on a plate or with utensils in which case it's taxable. I'm not sure if pizza from a pizzeria is taxable if served in a box.

[caymus]

Well, at least it appears he ran a profitable business.   I wonder if his pizza is any good.

[TXCraig1]

Well, at least it appears he ran a profitable business.

No kidding. I don't know what the sales tax rate is, but he must have underreported revenue by close ~$1M/yr.

[kori]

Wise Guys! lol, how ironic.

[kori]

We have crazy sales tax laws in Texas. For example, food is not taxable unless it's prepared and served in a restaurant or sold ready-to-go in which case it's taxable unless it's a bakery/donut shop in which case it's non-taxable unless it's served on a plate or with utensils in which case it's taxable. I'm not sure if pizza from a pizzeria is taxable if served in a box.

In Canada, its ALL taxable, 15% in Ontario. 

[Timpanogos Slim]

In Canada, its ALL taxable, 15% in Ontario. 

In the US, it varies by state and occasionally by county or city, and every now and then by postal code. It's a nightmare for people who must collect sales tax for out-of-state sales.

Here in Utah, it is recently being debated, again, to remove sales tax from food. I'm not holding my breath. I recall a few times the legislature floated an increased sales tax on "fast food". We pay 6.10% to the state and up to 2.95% to other local jurisdictions.

Though our cost of living is certainly much lower, Utah has a relatively high state personal income tax, and our tax burden is within spitting distance of NY's.

[Jackitup]

MN has almost an 18 BILLION DOLLAR tax surplus. Property taxes are out of control!!!!!

[Timpanogos Slim]

MN has almost an 18 BILLION DOLLAR tax surplus. Property taxes are out of control!!!!!

Yeah you'd be angry about how low my property taxes are.

They make it up in the income taxes.

[Yael]

We have crazy sales tax laws in Texas. For example, food is not taxable unless it's prepared and served in a restaurant or sold ready-to-go in which case it's taxable unless it's a bakery/donut shop in which case it's non-taxable unless it's served on a plate or with utensils in which case it's taxable. I'm not sure if pizza from a pizzeria is taxable if served in a box.

Yeah I think there's something similar in France. VAT was 20%, then they said "ok, 5.5% for restaurants". Then "well wait, let's do 10% for food trucks". "Oh wait, 5.5% for can drinks and packaged food you can eat later". "And dine-in and catering 10%, but wine 20%".

[TOSHIO]

I don't get the connection between the MN 18 billon dollar tax surplus and property taxes being out of control... the two are only loosely connected as the MN budget surplus is state  income/business taxes and property tax is a school district, county, and city issue... and where you actually can have a voice by going to the meetings.  If you look at your local infrastructure such as water, sewer, roads and parks there is usually an argument that they are underfunded if you are not in a high growth suburban area where too many developers are asking for (and getting) property tax forbearance leaving it all on the existing property tax payers

[matermark]

No kidding. I don't know what the sales tax rate is, but he must have underreported revenue by close ~$1M/yr.

I'm in Buffalo and the sales tax is 8.75%...