I need to let folks know that I'm avoiding doing any shows in Massachusetts after the state's division of taxation decided I needed to pay them more money than I think I've even earned selling books there, I swear.
They reported that they'd "audited" me and determined I needed to pay them this hefty fee. Better yet, even though it was the first time they were reporting this, "interest" was added to the total.
The fact is, I closed the account. I already was skipping shows in the state unless I shared a booth.
Yeah, Mass., will chase me for a few bucks, but let Jeff Bezos bring Amazon into town and give him, the richest person in the world, all sorts of tax-breaks.
FYI, in contrast, Rhode Island waives sales tax on what I write and sell. It's part of the state's efforts to support artists. Imagine that.