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I have not heard a word of this before, anyone have any input?
Yesterday I was at Paradise Restaurant Supply and the owner told me it was his last day to be able to sell to the public. He said to fund the rail system in Honolulu all businesses which sell at least 50% to the wholesale market can no longer sell to the public. For the transition period the state will station police officers outside businesses like his, HPM, etc. to check tax ID on anyone entering the store, verify their taxes are update, arrest on the spot those who are behind on taxes, and collect a 2% tax for the rail. The state is apparently aware that this will cause the loss of about 1200 jobs, however they will create 800 jobs with enforcement officers.
This can't possibly be true, can it? Anyone out there have any info?
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Sounds fishy.... don't even see how it would be legal.
I don't think they car arrest you for owing taxes ether. Has Hawaii brought back debtors prison?
If HPM charges tax to non-vender's... so why would the state care.
Transplanted Texan
"I am here to chew bubble gum and kick some *** ... and I'm all out of bubble gum"
-----------------------------------------------------------
I do not believe that America is better than everybody else...
America "IS" everybody else.
The Wilder Side Of Hawaii
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i find that very odd. the rail tax is for the county of honolulu (oahu) and has nothing to do with the county of hawaii. it isnt a state project but a county project that only they voted on... but... stranger things do happen.
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I believe Neighbor Island businesses who do biz on Oahu are required to pay the extra half-percent excise tax on that business alone.
But the part of about wholesale business restrictions sounds strange and the rest of it, especially the part about police officers, is beyond bizarre.
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I was in his store 11-7-08 and he told me the same story only that day November 7th was his last day selling to retail and HPM and othes like that would be doing the same thing...cusing all the while about the Honolulu rail system. Strange indeed! Guess he got a reprive on his "last retail sales day"!
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We were in Paradise Restaurant Supply yesterday also. The owner seemed sane enough at the time, but made no mention of any of this. Hmmmmm......
aloha, Liz
"The best things in life aren't things."
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There is owing taxes and there is tax evasion...
one is a debt, the other is knowingly breaking the law.
I still do not believe you can be arrested for any debt, even a tax debt. And after dealing with the State of Hawaii on some other things, I do not believe it has the ability to check up on any thing like a tax debt in less the 6 weeks.
Now if you have a warrant out for you arrest, it would only take a hour or two to find out you are wanted... but I don't think that they would hold everyone that walks into a wholesale business while they check. The law lawsuits that would follow would cost the state 100 times more then any taxes they might raise.
Even this far away the constitution stands for something.
Transplanted Texan
"I am here to chew bubble gum and kick some *** ... and I'm all out of bubble gum"
-----------------------------------------------------------
I do not believe that America is better than everybody else...
America "IS" everybody else.
The Wilder Side Of Hawaii
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The actual facts are that a business can easily do both -- there are separate portions of the GE Tax forms for reporting wholesale vs retail income with different percentages of tax to be paid.
Sounds to me like he just is eager to get every sale possible. Times are tough all around, so he's probably feeling the pinch as well. I don't condone deceiving people, though.
Jane
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