Tax on service in NYS?

[slt101]

In July I changed my service from the Top 200 with the monthly service plan to locals only. Before I was charged NYS/local sales tax on the $6.99 service plan only and nothing else but since I switched to locals only they are charging me sales tax on my entire bill. I called Dish and they were clueless and they had me send an email to their tax department who handles problems like this but I have YET to hear back from them. Does anyone know why the change?

[finniganps]

Did you change ANY of your receivers (eg. did you add a leased receiver or go from a owned to leased receiver)?

[slt101]

Did you change ANY of your receivers (eg. did you add a leased receiver or go from a owned to leased receiver)?

I have always owned all of my receivers. All I have on the account now is one owned receiver and the locals for $9.99 a month.

[CABill]

I suspect the change is the result of no longer paying monthly for ATxxx that includes the cost of the first receiver. I'm not familiar with NY (or my CA) tax rules, but the monthly ATxxx could be classified as "programming" and is then not subject to tax. Last I knew, locals only were $10 and a (reduced) combo of $5.99 locals and $6 service fee for not having ATxxx. The entire $10 might now be classified the same as the Service Plan for tax purposes, because it contains a service component.

The only tax I'm charged here in CA is tax on $9 - the implied value of the first receiver's lease fee that is included with AT120. One time charges (like a purchase) may have tax too. When I stop the monthly AT120 from attempting to switch to annual billing, instead of just the tax on the $9, DISH actually adds $9 to the bill. May and may not charge tax on that "service fee" - far too hard to really tell.

If your tax is on more than a Service Plan and the $10 for locals, some other explanation is needed. Having $10 local only be taxable MIGHT come from the service fee being in the $10. Just a GUESS!

[slt101]

I guess I'll just have to wait for Dish's tax department to get back to me whenever that is. That is one thing I have noticed since I switched to Direct TV is their customer service is so much faster to respond to questions or complaints. Dish always seems to take awhile to respond, if they even respond at all.

[Sdale]

Good ol' NY.

[slt101]

Typical Dish Network, its been over 3 weeks since I sent them an email about this question and still no reply.