response 20 of 32:

Feb 4 14:48 UTC 2000

re  #8: where did you hear that from? appearantly you are not exactly aware
of what is happening here. the last major coin devaluation was in the early
80's. right now we have an annual inflation of less then 5% for the last 4
or 5 years, maybe more (i simply have no idea of the inflation back then).
comparing to the US$, the shekel has lost value from about 2.5 shekel/$ in
1990 to 4 shekel/$ right now. we use credit cards and checques just as much
as americans (i know, i lived in the states).

response 22 of 32:

Feb 5 04:50 UTC 2000

Our recent form came in early 1999 - bearing our name and original
exemption date. It is true, however, that most vendors haven't even
recognized the state form when we showed it to them - ever, since 1990. 
All they want to know is your EIN (which doesn't prove anything about your
non-profit status). I can't recall one asking for our letter of
determination. Of course, if they get audited in this regard, YOU would be
found responsible if you were really not tax exempt. This fact would tend
to lead vendors to take the path of least resistance - just the EIN. 

response 24 of 32:

Feb 5 19:51 UTC 2000

If they write anything down it always includes the EIN, which is just
a corporate SS number.

response 26 of 32:

Feb 8 05:07 UTC 2000

The forms I think Mark is referring to in resp:17 explaining that we 
don't have to apply for exemption are, I think, the instructions 
attached to Michigan form 165, "Annual Return for Sales, Use, and 
Withholding Taxes", which is where we filed the $14.31 that we owed.  A 
couple of tidbits gleaned from briefly looking over those instructions 
and the copies kept:
  - The form was revised 9/98, the instructions 10/99, so the 
    information is probably the most current available.  
  - We have to file this form every year, regardless of whether or not
    we owe any sales, use, or withholding.  This explains why we have
    the forms, complete with instructions and peel-off labels.  
  - The (very brief) section on use tax does not mention any exemptions
    for nonprofits.  (The sales tax section mentions the exemptions
    Mark describes above.)  It basically says you owe use tax on 
    things you buy from "out of state, unliscenced vendors", 
    whatever that means.  

More investigation is warranted to figure out exactly what the deal is, 
but it looks at the moment like we've done the right thing.  

response 28 of 32:

Feb 8 21:20 UTC 2000

I detect a small amount of confusion between the law on paying sales tax
and collecting sales tax. The organizations I work with are *purchase*
sales tax exempt (with a certificate from the state to prove it) but not
*merchandizing* sales tax exempt (we would have to collect sales tax if we
sold anything to other than a tax exempt entity, and report it). No return
has to be filed for *purchase* sales tax exemption by the purchaser. 

response 30 of 32:

Feb 9 00:05 UTC 2000

Re #28: Rane - see #17.

response 32 of 32:

Mar 1 08:05 UTC 2000

(re#9: You should have been able to purchase the new 'golden dollars' in
Sam's or WALMART since about 1/14/2000.  They cost a wopping buck for a
1 dollar coin and you should have been able to purchase a roll of 25 in
original US mint coinwrap for 25$.  Starting 3/1/2000 (today) you should
be able to purchase them for 1 dollar each in any major US bank and a
lot of smaller banking institutions.  Very clever of the USMINT to
figure out that the best way to get them into wide distribution
initially was to 'coat-tail' on a private corporation that is the
absolute best at having outlets in maximum geographic distribution by
population demographics.)