and I want to know if this is standard?...I have several business's and know for a fact that we can only charge tax on a product and not a service...I would think that mounting a bear is a servise as I supplied the bear!Am I correct?(I would think at most he could tax me on the components such as the form,the eyes and tread!) Thanks for the advice in advance...This guy has been a real PIA!

If the item is being shipped out of state, can you even justify charging sales tax on a product?

Check your email. No taxes are charged in TN as of yet. Give them time...blood does come from Turnips!
LDK

Well being in Australia I don't know how your sales tax system works BUT I would of thought you supplied just a bit of the raw material. The product is the completed mount.

Yes,it is standard to charge tax on taxidermy.

No,If it is being shipped out of state.

I’m with you I think it is a service but, the comptroller’s office does not consider taxidermy a service, there for we have to charge tax for the total amount.

In Wyoming taxidermists fought in court not to have to charge sales tax on out of state invoices for taxidermy and or to be able to seperate the service part out and we were resoundly DEFEATED. It is state law and varies from state to state.

Well,Not so good,just another BS charge !But Thanks for the Info guys!

Just called Dept Of Revenue in Homer Alaska and got some good news! Yes,,they can charge you 7.5% Sales tax,BUT,a $500 Ceiling Limit which means $37.50 is the most he can charge!

Safari,
I assume that is per item?
BTW, thanks for following up on that and thanks for letting us know. I currently have a mountain goat being processed. Be curious to see what the bill looks like.

Nickle and dimeing taxidermists. How sweet. Be sure you also go over those mounts with a very fine toothed comb and find the slightest flaw to bitch about.

Sculptor,
Businessmen need to know how much they can charge and for what. Taxes can add up. I got my quarterlies coming up if you'd like to pay 'em. I pay an acct to make sure I don't overpay. What's wrong with what Safari did?

Of course nothing legally, but it just seems nit picking to me. Alaska as a state has no sales tax but the towns can levi them. Doing the paperwork is a pain in the butt for a small business. Most taxidermists already are underpaid and over worked. Most taxidermist do alot of little extras at no charge as part of thier base price. After being in the taxidermy business full time for over 34 years my experience is that people that bitch over a few dollars are never worth having at any price as a client. Thier bitching and moaning never ends. I think an extra grief fee for some clients might be a good idea. I have recieved very good tips for jobs well done from many clients over the years plus good references but in my experience a guy that will complain and spend a lot of time agrueing over sales tax is the same guy who was never worth having as a client at any price. Get your money, every last penny and clutch it tight. Good for you.

Not to defend Safarikid,as I'm sure he's capable...

But this maybe related...

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3421043/m/571109049

Certainly would give me reason to double check...

And I think most taxidermists are fair....

Dan

I don't see the relation at all? I hope Safarikid is a good guy and it all gets it all straighted out and he gets good taxidermy.

Depending on what town your taxidermist is from there is a 2-7 percent sales tax Max taxed at $500. Most Business in Alaska get sales tax audited every 5-6 years. Sounds like your taxidermist runs a good shop!
Remember you are talking about penny's on the dollar!

quote:

Originally posted by sculptor:
Of course nothing legally, but it just seems nit picking to me....

Sorry, but there is such a thing as honest business practices. Any taxidermist who has to hide extra charges in "sales tax" because he cant compete on the basis of price or work quality will NEVER get my business. Show me your work and tell me the price....don't surprise me later with lies.

Just got in and saw all the post...Thanks guys for taking up for me!Sculptor,I understand where you are coming from,but You are a Honest and Good Taxidermist
But,THIS guy has been a Nightmare for me and my Hunting partner!Bill's bear,his first and last(he is 70) was a bear of a lifetime,10'2" first day of the hunt...It was supposed to be at SCI in Jan,was not,then to be delivered in person in Feb,was not..then excuses and excuses...price was to be 6k,it was not,then after alot of calls ,it was finally delivered in Sept..Then,it was the wrong position!!! ,then the dang thing stunk,really stunk!...wheeled it out of the garage for over a month in the fresh air every day,still stinks....moved it upstairs in the Den,had a party,everyone noted the "smell"?!...Now the damn hair is slipping too...Come to find out,it was "dry tanned" and for what we are told,a Fall bear should be Wet tanned,it was Not....Last,the bill ended up being $8200,way over budget....
Then theres my bear,not here yet,but hope its not smelling...it is the right position,way late and price was not what I was told,so I decided to check on the sales tax,not because I cant afford it,not because I am nit picking,but because I have NEVER been charged Sales tax on a Service,much less Out of State...Glad I did as I got a 7.5% price reduction and Bill will get the same.That is not just pennies...Bottom line is principal here...Several of you guys have responded favorably and I just want to be fair and expected the same from others....Didnt mean to ramble on,just wanted to explain....Now,I Just HOPE my Lil Blonde Bear doesnt smell,He says no problem,though it was dry tanned too! We shall see

Safarikid,

read this thread re. removing smell....

http://forums.accuratereloadin.../3421043/m/847105959

Maybe one of the taxidermists hear can answer this,but I understand that dry tanning is the "best" processing for any mount....

Any comment?

Hope your mount is OK....

Dan

It sounds like it was 'dry preserved' to me, which really isn't tanning as all, that would explain the terrible smell and the loss of hair and epidermis. Either a commercial wet or dry tan would not have a terrible smell or hair loss after such a period of time. There is a big difference between 'dry preserve' and 'dry tan'.

I have had Alaskan bears come in for rugmaking that were 'home tanned' and had a terrible fishy smell to them after they dried. The others that are commercially tanned have no odor to them at all.

I would question, specifically, his method of tanning. Those bears should be commercially tanned. Find out who his tannery is. If he is home tanning or dry preserving...get your bear back while you still have a chance to get it tanned properly. While some taxidermists home tan bears successfully, the larger majority do not! You need large and expensive equipment (vats, tumblers, etc.,) and unless one is doing large volumes of tanning, this equipment and the time it takes to (self) home tan can be cost prohibitive, therefore not used in many cases.

I would get on the phone and ask some direct questions.

Kind regards,
Mary

Safarikid, Of course I better understand now. I am sorry for your bad experience, I certainly would be raging mad myself. Silcian types like me are known to not like or take these kind of games against them well. I hate being lied to and scammed. I would probably fly up there in person and straighten things out if it were me in your shoes. Good luck . Jim

7.5% of an $8000 plus bill is not pocket change!! he obviously knew what the limit was that he was entitled to charge in Homer and he tried to cheat you. that is called fraud where i come from and a call to the local DA there might bring interesting results.

quote:

Originally posted by sculptor:
Nickle and dimeing taxidermists. How sweet. Be sure you also go over those mounts with a very fine toothed comb and find the slightest flaw to bitch about.

If your paying for a product then you deserve the right to critique it.

When you go to a movie and it sucks do you bitch about it?

Your in a service industry that provides a product. An industry that relies heavily on customer satisfaction.

Really can't see what the big deal is.

D99 ..... well anyway. As anyone can read, once I knew the whole story I backed right off and sided with SafariKid. I hope he gets it straightened out as his taxidermists seems to be scamming and cheating him on several fronts.

I think max tax in Homer Alaska is $30 (Soldotan -Kenai is max at $30 ) Good or bad your complaining about penny's! It's the LAW guys.

quote:

Originally posted by Robert johnson:
I think max tax in Homer Alaska is $30 (Soldotan -Kenai is max at $30 ) Good or bad your complaining about penny's! It's the LAW guys.

My poorly informed friend!I(we)are NOT complaining "about a Penny"!Did you take the time to read the above?? The LAW in Homer IS $500 ceiling on tax($37.50) ...We are talking a 7.5% tax on a total for 2 bears of $14,000.00 Dollars-do the math please 14x7.5%=$1000.00 Approx...I don't know about you,but in my neck of the woods,that will buy alot of gasoline since it is now $1.56 here ...or,it will allow my gorgeous girlfriend to go to the mall for at least a whole hour!

quote:

Originally posted by sculptor:
D99 ..... well anyway. As anyone can read, once I knew the whole story I backed right off and sided with SafariKid. I hope he gets it straightened out as his taxidermists seems to be scamming and cheating him on several fronts.

As usual Sculptor you only read what you want in my post. I am with SafariKid too, but you ripped into him pretty hard.

woodmanDan, it all depends on WHAT you're talking about. The old guys liked dry tans for EVERYTHING, but I hate them for lifesize work. They never have the stretch and pliability of a quality wet tan. Having said that, a rug HAS to be dry tanned for softness issues. All fur bearers look richer and brighter with a dry tan as well. Any hide professionally tanned won't smell PERIOD. Like Mary suggested, this sounds like a dry preserved hide.

I'm with Mary on this one and I say a dry tan is the way to go!

'dry preserve' What a FU*KING JOKE! I call it "dry jerky"

If he dry preserved it, then he truly hosed you.

I would love to see what you got for $7000.00 on a Bear mount.?

I have not seen the mount yet, but I think you probably got hosed on the price as well.

Could something that was dry preseved be re-tanned?

And while I am with Safarikid, and I don't think he should complain about $1000 being no small change when he spent $15000 on taxidermy and I am guessing $15000 on a bear hunt.

If I had $15000 to spend on taxidermy of a bear I had spent that much on I would have went with someone I had used before.

So much for me picking sides.

quote:

Originally posted by SAFARIKID:

quote:

Originally posted by Robert johnson:
I think max tax in Homer Alaska is $30 (Soldotan -Kenai is max at $30 ) Good or bad your complaining about penny's! It's the LAW guys.

My poorly informed friend!I(we)are NOT complaining "about a Penny"!Did you take the time to read the above?? The LAW in Homer IS $500 ceiling on tax($37.50) ...We are talking a 7.5% tax on a total for 2 bears of $14,000.00 Dollars-do the math please 14x7.5%=$1000.00 Approx...I don't know about you,but in my neck of the woods,that will buy alot of gasoline since it is now $1.56 here ...or,it will allow my gorgeous girlfriend to go to the mall for at least a whole hour!

Ok lets all get on the same track.
Two hunters are having their bear mounted. So we are talking about two separate taxidermy jobs, Two different sale tax payments due. You are saying the taxidermist billed you $500app each for Sales Tax.
The tax in Homer is 7.5, I think the max tax is 37.50 But their are exceptions like lodging that don't have a max tax.

Please post an invoice on AR of your bills showing the Sales due. After you post your bill please email a copy to (salestax@borough.kenai.ak.us ) and then Monday call1-800-478-4441 Ext 3175 Ask them to review your bill. This should be very easy to clear up as to who is at fault.If this guy tried to charge you $500 each Sales tax, You could file a serious complaint against him!
Good luck

As usual Rob knows how to save the world!

I would do what he says, he gives good advice.

I grew up in Alabama. That state had a law where "labor" was not taxed. Only products, parts, etc. If you had a brake job done with new rotors, pads, "supplies", then you paid tax on parts only. Every taxidermist I used when living there had a fee for work and there was no "surprise" tax when you picked it up. If they told you it was $200, that is what you paid.

Here in Ohio, labor is taxed. Same brake job with same parts, plus labor...that total is taxed.

I used a taxidermist north of Dayton for a few years. Fee for deer was $389 on a shoulder mount. When I picked up my first deer, there was 6% or so tax added, which I had never experienced at a taxidermist. I already had him a check made out for the remainder, which I paid 50% down. I wrote another check for the tax.

The guy I use now is only minutes away. His shoulder mount fee is $385. I guess that is tax included b/c that is what is paid, since he still must charge tax on the whole service/product. Our county pays 6.25%.