It has been awhile since my last blog.  I apologize for the lateness of this posting.  This may be a good time to talk taxes from the winery view point.  Not too many years ago, I could fill out our family federal tax forms myself.  Those days are over!  Today our tax forms are several hundred pages long and require the services of a competent CPA.  Just for the heck of it, I compiled a list of taxes that we pay to run our small family winery: 

1. Federal Withholding
2. State Withholding
3. Federal Unemployment
4. State Unemployment
5. Company Matching Social Security
6. Company Matching Medicare
7. Local Earned Income Tax
8. Local Services Tax
9. Gasoline Tax
10. Pennsylvania Sales Tax
11. School Tax
12. Property Tax
13. Excise Tax on Wine
14. Pennsylvania Market & Qualtiy Wine Tax
15. Taxes on our phone bill: Gross Receipts Tax,  Pa Gross Receipts Tax Surcharge, Federal Excise Tax, & PA State Sales Tax
16. Taxes on our electric & water bill: PA Sales Tax
17. Corporation Taxes
18. Capital Gains Tax
19. ASCAP Tax (to play music in the winery)
20. BMI Tax (To play music in the winery)
21. Room Tax when traveling

     This is what I can think of and probably there are more.  If you know of additional taxes, please let me know.
     We just received copies of our 2011 tax return and below is a photo of the packet.  If tax reform is not needed, then I don't know what is!  Does anyone out there wonder why small business is having a rough time in this country?  HAIL TO THE GLASS OF WINE THAT KEEPS US GOING!! 
                                                        Until the next time, Winemaker Ron