TKC SUNDAY SPECIAL!!! KANSAS CITY METRO HOME OFFICE TAX CRACKDOWN STARTS WITH MERRIAM SUBURB RAGE!!!
In the advent of high speed internet and the cruel consultant based "gig economy" the number of people working from home is exploding.
To wit . . .
SPECIAL THANKS TO AWESOME TKC TIPSTERS FOR THIS SUNDAY SPECIAL EXCLUSIVE REPORT ON THE DRACONIAN TAX CRACKDOWN NOW TARGETING LOCAL HOME OFFICE WORKERS!!!
The inner-suburban legislation marks the beginning of A TREND ACROSS THE KANSAS CITY METRO which hopes to impose higher taxes on people for simply using their laptop to make a few bucks. The reality is that higher taxes imposed on people who work from home has been on the wish list of politicos in many local municipalities for quite some time.
Here's the word of warning on this crisis in the making . . .
Merriam Planning Commission Upsetting Residents by Regulating People Who Work From Home
Any Merriam, Kansas resident who is an architect, attorney, artist, writer, programmer, book keeper, accountant, marketer, craft maker, sales person, employee of another company or any other profession who is working from their residence a substantial part of their time, must comply with a Merriam ordinance that requires them to have a business license issued by Merriam. Even if they work out of their truck and bring the truck home at night, they are required to get a home office permit. This is just not right. If convicted of not complying with the city ordinance, the fine is $200 per day the business operates without a permit.
On March 7, 2018, the Planning Commission approved a revision to the current ordinance. The revised ordinance will now go to the City Council to determine if the ordinance will be voted into law. It has not yet been scheduled for a vote by the Merriam City Council.
Fifty residents attended the Planning Commission public hearing on March 7. Most comments, given by residents, were in opposition to the ordinance- both the current and revised. Privacy issues were most frequently cited by residents. One Planning commissioner said he was appalled that residents would consider the ordinance an invasion of privacy.
There are currently only 48 Merriam residents that have permits allowing them to earn a living working from home. An estimated 850 Merriam residents currently working from home, are violating the current and proposed ordinances by not having a permit. The number of residents not in compliance with city code is an estimate based on the population of Merriam and a Gallup Poll which estimates that 13% of the U.S. population works from home over 80% of their time.
My understanding is that work from home ordinances have not been revised since before the personal computer was invented. What Merriam does with their work from home laws will likely effect what other cities, in the Kansas City metropolitan area, do with their work from home ordinances.
The Revised Ordinance Approved by the Merriam Planning Commission - Skip to Page 21 after clicking
Video of Public Comments of Residents at the Planning Commission Meeting
Some residents were stopped before they could finish their comment, at the public hearing, by the commission chair and then she argued with them. The Senior Poet Laureate of Kansas, Richard W. Jennings is confined to a wheel and could not attend the public hearing. After Sam Matier read Mr. Jennings' comment at the public hearing, the chair told Mr. Matier that he could not read comments from others and only give his own comments. After seeing the video, Mr Jennings demanded an immediate apology from the chair or he would contact an ADA attorney.
Video of Planning Commission Member Comments Justifying Vote of Approval
Video of Presentation Given by Director of Community Development to Planning Commission
Gallup Poll Says More People are Working from Home
For the last three years, I have published a free email newsletter, twice a month, called "What's Happening in Merriam City Hall." There is no advertising and contact information is not shared. I volunteer my time to do this as a civic duty. Anyone may subscribe to the news letter by clicking here.
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Developing . . .
And a tax on the air you breath is up next. Never stops until people start voting to kick out high tax politicians.
ReplyDeleteGive credit to Merriam, Ks. I thought that KCMO would have put this through first and called it a tax for google fiber.
DeleteRead some of this and comparing it to people who cut hair at home or have a home childcare business is insane. They've finally figured out a way to tax computer use more effectively.
DeleteHow stupid.
Is the coffeeshop laptop tax next?
^^^ just what kansas city, mo needs. The $10 latte.
ReplyDeleteAnd don’t forget gay sLIE is adding another one percent sales tax in april
ReplyDeleteThe Tax Man cometh. Declare the pennies on your eyes.
ReplyDeleteI work from home in Northeast KC and am required to have a license to do so. I comply, but I don't care for it.
ReplyDeleteThat is insane! Another reason not to move to the armpit of Johnson County.
ReplyDeleteWorking from home is ok but running a business out of your home is a different story. Unlicensed daycares are by far the worst. I had a clown running a remodeling business out of his house next door to me and his help was parking all over the streets. He had crap all along the side of his house from jobs or left over from them and well I won't even go into what the backyard looked like. Two ton and half trucks parked across from his house when not working because he didn't want them sitting in front of his house. It was a mess took myself and several neighbors over a year using a lawyer at the cost of almost two thousand dollars to get the city to put a stop to it along with a threat of a lawsuit if they didn't. So I think the licences is a good idea and along with listing what you can and can't do in a residential area. If you use the third bedroom as an office and don't have people coming to your home all the time that's a different story. But nobody wants to live next door to a disrupting business, that is why their is zoning laws to deal with such.
ReplyDeleteIf you (City of Merriam) are going to impose this unfair tax on people that do computer work inside their houses and you can't prove it then you need to reduce their property tax like you do IKEA and The car dealers on SMPKY and I-35, Home Depot, Cinemark, QuikTrip, banks and etc. You can't have it both ways.
ReplyDelete10:33 don’t move to the armpit of killa shitty either! The 11% tax on goods is another reason besides the blacks not to move there!
ReplyDeleteI thought Republicans were the party of less taxes? I must have heard wrong.
ReplyDeleteYes, you heard wrong.
ReplyDeleteThere is a plus side and for some and a negative side maybe for some to this possible ordinance. While working from home with a computer isn't the real issue here it's those who can disrupt a neighborhood that are. Once again it's those that abuse it as a rule that ruin it for all. I mean come on who wants to see a gigantic pink Bob Hamilton Plumbing truck or the likes thereof parked on their street in the neighborhood every night and all weekend long?
ReplyDeleteHaving attended many planning commission meetings in many different cities over the years I can say that some do make you very aware that from the floor comments have a time limit and if you try to go past it they cut you off. They have to or some people will get up there and talk for an hour and simple repeat most of the time what others said before them. Also most only allow you to speak for yourself unless your an attorney who has been retained to speak on someone's behalf or a voted into position HOA representative.
God, do you EVAR shut up? Is there NO topic you don’t run off at the mouth on? Damn dude, you don’t have to post on every thread. Do you even have a Ｌｉｆｅ? You’re always on here!
Deletesorry, it seems to me that the right to work from home is an inherent, natural right.
ReplyDeleteANTIFA will solve the issue.
ReplyDeleteYou may apply for tax waiver if you only use phone, fax, and snail mail. You will need:
ReplyDelete1. copy of your last phone bill.
2. Serial number of fax machine and a copy of it's warranty
3. 3 pieces of snail mail corroborating
4. 3 client references that can testify to non-internet use.
^^^ all notorized
ReplyDeleteCan't raise taxes on Ikea?
ReplyDeleteHere is the payback folks. Go to one of the many sites where you can contact your Washington representatives and demand they vote NO on the Internet sales tax bill. If you don't you will be adding near ten percent to every purchase you make online. It is time for the boss hog politicians to tighten their belts with YOUR money.
ReplyDeleteI pay sales tax on my internet buys ya dummy
ReplyDeleteHaving attended many planning commission meetings in many different cities over the years I can say that some do make you very aware that from the floor comments have a time limit and if you try to go past it they cut you off.
ReplyDeleteThey cut off retards, yeah. Like you.
Bet the Kansas City Atheist Coalition won't say anything about this!!!
ReplyDeletewhat does the kansas blogger lady say?
ReplyDeleteWhewwww , glad I'm off the hook, their only concerned about those who are working from home with COMPUTERS ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
ReplyDeleteGlad I'll still be able to operate my Secret Private STIPPER CLUB in the basement of my home in Merriam, there on EBY street, almost behind the Merriam Police Dept and City Hall.
Going on over 25 years now , same location, same street, same place same Bat Time !!!
Open Nightly 7 nights a week from 11pm until 12am
Open Hollidays too !!!
Food & Drinks always served !
Hott Chicks always Nightly !!!
NO Cover Charge ever !!
Just look for the great big huge 500'foot tall Bright Neon Sign out front that say's T&A's / Tits & Ass
Whewww for a minute I thought they were gonna want me to get some kind of license or Liquor license or something stupid ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Come on by,,, grab a seat and enjoy the show !!!!
ACE HOUSEPAINTING 5316 KNOX AVE. OPERATION 4 YEARS IN LOCATION VIOLATING ZONEING BUT HE IS A FRIEND TO CITY & BOB CHECKS MADE WITH KANSAS TAX GOVT. AND NON PAYMENT OF TAX TO STATE OR FED OR LOCAL GOVT. NOW YOU ASK HOW CAN THAT BE ! LOOK IT UP YOUR SELF GOOGLE EARTH THE PROPERTY AND CHECK ON TAX WITH STATE.
ReplyDeleteNOW GO BY DOWN-TOWN SEE CARS ON SIDEWALKS VIOLATION OF ADA ---ASK BOB WHY HE CAN NOT SEE ! AS HE DRIVES WHEELS OF NEW TRUCK !
ReplyDelete