[5873] in APO Printshop
Re: business cardsz
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Sasen S Cain)
Mon Jan 4 18:05:37 2010
Cc: Jennifer Tu <jtu@mit.edu>, "Leonard H Tower Jr." <tower@alum.mit.edu>,
apo-printshop@mit.edu
From: Sasen S Cain <sasen@MIT.EDU>
To: "Elizabeth Power!" <epower@mit.edu>
In-Reply-To: <4B41712F.6000409@mit.edu>
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 18:05:33 -0500
it's definitely relevant to silkscreening as well.
what exactly counts as a business? is there a legal distinction
between incorporated entities and an individual selling crafts on
etsy.com? mims phrased her endeavor as a business, but it could
effectively be a vanity brand. these days, putting up a website is
enough to convince people of your legitimacy as an artisan vendor.
how would independently-funded student groups be categorized? LSC
comes to mind, as printshop has done their munchie cards and passes.
what about MIT as an educational institution? if these codes are so
strict, we may not be able to provide service to most of MIT.
yilfs,
--sasen
On Jan 3, 2010, at 23:40, Elizabeth Power! wrote:
> even if you can't quote it, could you tell us the code section that
> it would be under?
> thanks
> Liz!
>
> Jennifer Tu wrote:
>> Thanks for the prompt response.
>> If you could find that information that indicates that providing
>> services to a business is disallowed, it would possibly be relevant
>> to the chapter, since I seem to recall the topic of providing
>> services to businesses coming up sometime last year in a non-
>> printshop context.
>> As you pointed out, my two questions were not related. It would
>> still be nice to know if we're shifting from last year's agreement
>> that Cat would handle rejection notifications to something else
>> though, so we can all be on the same page.
>> --Jennifer
>> On Sun, 3 Jan 2010, Leonard H Tower Jr. wrote:
>>> Date: Sun, 3 Jan 2010 20:15:34 -0500 (EST)
>>> From: Jennifer Tu <jtu@MIT.EDU>
>>> To: Leonard H Tower Jr. <tower@alum.MIT.EDU>
>>> Cc: apo-printshop@mit.edu
>>> Subject: Re: business cards
>>>
>>> (1) I looked into this, and it does not appear to be a violation
>>> of our
>>> 501(c)3 tax exemption to provide the service at cost. Do you
>>> have a specific
>>> reference you could share?
>>>
>>> it's also a violation of our sales tax exemption
>>>
>>> you're wrong. my reading of the case law on this made it quite
>>> clear,
>>> but i don't have that info handy
>>>
>>> do you have specific references you can share?
>>> crystal clear. appearances can be deceiving ; - }
>>>
>>> for those who don't know, i've been a director of several non-
>>> profits,
>>> and have helped them get 501(c)3 status. as a director, i've been
>>> legally, financially, and personally liable for their behavior.
>>> i've
>>> read most of the IRS docs, not only section 501 of the code, regs,
>>> etc, but a lot of the rest (501 coves much more than just (c)3, ...)
>>>
>>> if @ cost was a criteria (it isn't) and we really don't have the
>>> proper accounting to even know what cost is here
>>>
>>> your (2) doesn't apply here
>>>
>>> yiLFS -len
>>>
>>> On Mon, 28 Dec 2009, Leonard H Tower Jr. wrote:
>>>
>>> > mims:
>>> >
>>> > as a charity, apo is not suppose to provide services to
>>> businesses,
>>> > even those run by brothers.
>>> >
>>> > it's a violation of our 501(c)3 tax exemption.
>>> > even if national looks the other way, mit doesn't,
>>> > and Alpha Chi has to use MIT's per Institute policy.
>>> >
>>> > please find somewhere else to get your cards made.
>>> >
>>> > yiLFS -len
>>> >
>>> > Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:29:05 +0000 (UTC)
>>> > From: "Marilyn Mims Dow, Region I Director" <mimsdow@comcast.net
>>> >
>>> > To: apo-printshop@mit.edu
>>> > Subject: business cards
>>> >
>>> > Hey there
>>> >
>>> > I am starting up a small design business and needed business
>>> > cards.... I know these folks at MIT with a printing press so I
>>> > thought I would check in.
>>> >
>>> > I am looking to do a logo and contact info on a linen cardstock
>>> > that is either cream or a pale granny smith apple green with
>>> a dark
>>> > or chocolate brown ink. I have a Jpeg logo, but I realize
>>> that you
>>> > are dealing in lead.
>>> >
>>> > I will be selling things at the upcoming Arisia conference on
>>> MLK
>>> > weekend, so if we need to do something straight text for
>>> right now
>>> > and work on including the graphic further down the road.
>>> >
>>> > I spoke with Matt Goldstein and Ellen Kranzer. They said the
>>> best
>>> > option was to email this address as a start.
>>> >
>>> > Thanks so much!
>>> >
>>> > Mims
>>> >
>>> >
>>>
>>>
