On Sun, 10 May 2009 11:53:12 -0300, "Don White"
wrote:


wrote in message
...
On May 9, 7:27 pm, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:
"...the federal government now considers your garage sale a “small
business” and you, yes YOU, sitting in your folding chair on your
driveway, a “retailer”."

http://tinyurl.com/qlw6gr

Do you think the US Government is going to monitor EVERY Yard Sale in
the US?
Cash transactions don't show up on your taxes....thank God.
Sounds like grasping in desperation, to me.

I suppose the provinces/municipalities could help out by requiring a short
term license to conduct a yard sale and expect you to collect and submit
HST/GST/PST whatever...

You would think so wouldn't you - I mean what you say makes perfect
sense.

However, in practice, that's not how it's worked out.

We have a local artisan, former Elementary School Principal who made
(note the past tense) the most exquisite toy trains of various
varieties of hard wood - oak, birch, ash, maple, etc. He uses no metal
in them at all and the sets come in two versions - unfinished and
finished. The finished sets are oiled - no varnish, poly, paint -
nothing - just wood and linseed oil - everything made by hand.

He's been making these trains since he was in high school which would
make it close to 50 years. They are beautiful toys and real heirloom
stuff. He made enough money on them to buy ever more expensive
hardwoods, keep his tools in good shape and it gave him something to
do. Sometimes he just gave them away as raffle prizes or to some
deserving kid whose parents couldn't afford them.

Normally, he sold these toys at yard sales and craft fairs - limited
production - I don't think he made more than 25 sets a year the entire
time he was doing this.

The last time he went to renew his shop insurance and personal
liability, the insurance company told him that they wouldn't renew his
policy until he had his product tested and received a certificate that
cleared his toys of this, that and the other "hazardous" material. He
looked into it - $9,800 per toy piece. The average train set had 7
pieces. You do the math.

Can't afford it - done and gone. He hasn't made a set in six months
and won't be making any more ever.

Now the State of Connecticut, in it's infinite wisdom, is considering
that anybody who sets up a yard sale has to apply for a state permit.
Guess what part of the requirement is to obtain the permit - beyond
applying for a tax number and collecting sales tax that is?

Yep - gotta have a certificate stating that any manufactured item you
sell has been cleared according to the specifications set out in this
ridiculous EPA policy. The fine suggested is $5,000 and/or 30 days in
jail.

So that's what happened and is happening.

But then I guess it's a good thing - I mean it's all about the
children you know.

It's the law of unintended consequences - which seems to be a hallmark
of the Obama Administration.

Not smart enough to think it through I guess.