In NYC is there sales tax on services like computer / cell phone repair?
According to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, your service would appear to be exempt from taxes.  However, if you are charging for tangible items, those would incur a sales tax.
"Over the repair of a phone?  Based on what kinds of ""damages""... brain cancer via cell phone? (Even in the highly unlikely instance of such an absurd claim, they would go for the ""deep pockets"" -- are you as the phone repair guy likely to be considered to have deeper pockets than the company that manufactured the phone?  Doubtful.)" The reason is the same as with cell phones payment plans. As competition grows cell phone companies offer better payment plans for the same price or the same plans for lower price or both so that you stay with that cell operator. Banks also make better offers if the financial situation allows. Suppose several banks offer refinancing with better terms but prohibit refinancing loans from the same bank. Okay, you refinance from another bank and them maybe refinance the new loan again from the original bank - it's a new loan after the first refinance and prohibition no longer works. They just make you jump through more loops and it doesn't make sense neither for them nor for you I was unaware that first-class mail was intended to be that fast. But really, the postal service is legacy infrastructure at this point. Its last major purpose, aside from spam, is servicing bills and miscellaneous government paperwork like taxes and the census for those who don't have access to the internet. The post baby-boom generations are overwhelmingly computer literate; it's not going to be too terribly long before we have mandated universal internet connectivity, like we have with telephones and electricity. At that point, the postal service will pass into irrelevance. Are you searching for the best service centre for Laptop Repair And Services In Delhi NCR. Centre For Laptops have experience and technical knowledge on all types of computers and provides the best Repair and Services of all models of Laptops and Computer. To know more Visit: http://centreforlaptops.com/ or call us at: 9891992204 "New York will want to you to pay taxes on income from ""New York sources"". I'm not sure what this means to a freelance web developer.  If your wife is doing freelance web development under the same business entity as she did in New York (ie. a New York sole proprietor, corporation, etc), you probably do need to file. From nonresident tax form manual: http://tax.ny.gov/pdf/2011/inc/it203i_2011.pdf If you were a nonresident of New York State, you are subject to New   York State tax on income you received from New York State sources in   2011. If you were a resident of New York State for only part of 2011, you are subject to New York State tax on all income you received while   you were a resident of the state and on income you received from New   York State sources while  you were a nonresident.  To compute the amount of tax due, use Form IT-203, Nonresident and   Part-Year Resident Income Tax Return. You will compute a base tax as   if you were a full-year  resident, then determine the percentage of   your income that is subject to New York State tax and the amount of   tax apportioned to New York State." "I was just reading Consumer Reports' December 2009 issue.  The issue's focus is electronics, and there was a small section on extended warranties in the ""Best electronics"" article.  Here's what they said: Extended warranties still aren't   worth buying Seven in 10   respondents to our survey on buying   major electronics reported they were   pitched an extended warrranty.    However hard they're sold, extended   warranties are generally bad   investments.  Most electronics   products won't need a repair,   especially if you choose brands that   have fared better than others in the   reliability ratings we include in this   section.  In the unlikely event they   break, other Consumer Reports survey   data has shown,  the average repair   bill is often comparable with the cost   of a warranty. However, buying   a plan that includes accidental damage   might be worth considering for a   laptop or netbook that you'll use a   lot on the go.  And buying a computer   warranty that extends tech support,   too, might make sense if you or a gift   recipient could use a lot of   hand-holding. [...] Paying   with your credit card might   automatically double the   manufacturers' warranty and offer   other benefits at no extra cost   [...] Seven in 10   respondents to our survey on buying   major electronics reported they were   pitched an extended warrranty.    However hard they're sold, extended   warranties are generally bad   investments.  Most electronics   products won't need a repair,   especially if you choose brands that   have fared better than others in the   reliability ratings we include in this   section.  In the unlikely event they   break, other Consumer Reports survey   data has shown,  the average repair   bill is often comparable with the cost   of a warranty. However, buying   a plan that includes accidental damage   might be worth considering for a   laptop or netbook that you'll use a   lot on the go.  And buying a computer   warranty that extends tech support,   too, might make sense if you or a gift   recipient could use a lot of   hand-holding. [...] Paying   with your credit card might   automatically double the   manufacturers' warranty and offer   other benefits at no extra cost   [...] BTW, I like Consumer Reports and I am a long-time subscriber.  Check them out if you haven't before." Bartering is a tricky discussion. Yes, it definitely applies when you are self-employed and do a job that you would charge anyone else for, but what if you are helping a friend in your spare time? If you receive something in exchange, the value of the item you received would be your income, but what if you don't receive anything in exchange? If the company bought a computer that they loan to you to do occasional work for them, there's no reason you couldn't take the computer home and have that company retain ownership of the property. They could still expense the depreciation of the computer without giving it to you. If it were a car though, you would have to count mileage for personal use as income. What if you exchange occasional tech support for the use of an empty desk and Internet connection? As long as they aren't renting desks for money to others, there's probably no additional marginal cost to them if they allow you to use the space, so the fair market value question breaks down. The NYT is a very left leaning publication that usually advocates for *more* government. The current situation is a general pointed to by small government types as direct result of government fuckery making things worse than they would have been otherwise.  FTR- id like to see healthcare benefits taxed as regular payroll.  Then this problem would solve itself almost overnight.