Pennsylvania's Food Inspections Online

Pennsylvania's Food Establishment Inspection Online Search

You can view complete restaurant and grocery store inspection records online.
Some you can even printout.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

More Videos:
Obama's Pardoning The Turkey At The Whitehouse
(The Jaindl turkeys didn't fare as well
The Very 1st Thanksgiving With JC And The Gang

Thanksgiving Funnies

My Christmas Quandary

So here it is nearly the end of November and once again time to come up my annual Christmas list requests for the family.

???

I never thought the day would come, but here it is. What do I want?

Let's see I have..

A super mp3 disk playing stereo in the van.
Four TV's. Shortwave, police scanner, AM/FM portable radios.
A 700 watt theatre amp W/ 6 speakers and a sub woofer.
All the wireless and cell phones 5 people could use.
Two computers. One is 6 channel stereo W/built in TV
Nearly 40,000 mp3's.
Two HDD HiDef 162 channel digital recorders.
A midi keyboard and 5 Synthesizer Roland production unit.
Table saw, drill, press etc.
All sorts lawn tools.
4 drawers of jeans, tons of clothing, ties and a 2 suits.
Four watches
Three video cameras and a digital still camera.

So hell I guess I have everything I want. About the only thing I can think of is to win the Lottery.

But Alas, with all that money, I'm right back to..

What would I want?

??

Lockheed During WW II

During World War II the Army Corps of Engineers needed

to hide the Lockheed Burbank Aircraft Plant to protect it

from a possible Japanese air attack.

They covered it with camouflage netting to make

it look like a rural subdivision from the air.

Pennsylvania Sales Tax- Everything You Need To Know

There seems to be some confusion of what are taxable and what are non-taxable sales in Pennsylvania.

People are so easily confused. So as a public service I post the following simple table as to what is currently taxable and what is not taxed.

Hopefully it will serve to illustrate why we Pennsylvanians should express our appreciation for the exhaustive hard work of the thousands of dedicated bureaucrats who make our lives so uncomplicated.

Click Below For The
"Sales & Use Tax Taxability Lists"

T – TAXABLE
NT – NONTAXABLE
* – INDICATES CHANGE OR CLARIFICATION
** – INDICATES NEW ITEM
BOOKS AND STATIONERY
Tax is imposed on books, stationery and stationery supplies, including
bibles and religious publications sold by religious groups.
T – Bibles
T – Comic books
T – Crossword, game books
T – Dictionaries
T – Greeting cards
T – Instruction books for needle-craft, embroidery, knitting, etc.
NT – Mail order catalogues
NT – Newspapers of general circulation qualified to carry a legal
advertisement
T – Periodicals and magazines not purchased by subscription
NT – Periodicals and magazines purchased by subscription
T – School supplies, except when sold directly to a school district
or nonprofit educational institution
NT – Textbooks, when sold by a school or an authorized book store

BUSINESS SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT
Generally, sales of business supplies and equipment used in construction,
repair, etc., of real estate are taxable.
T – Amusement and record playing devices
T – Building materials, supplies, and equipment used in construction,
repair, etc., of real estate
T – Business forms such as invoices, order books, etc.
T – Cash register receipt paper
*T – Canned computer software and licenses to use, regardless of
method of delivery
NT – Direct mail advertising materials, including calendars, matchbooks,
etc.
T – Display cases and merchandising equipment
NT – Dry ice, when sold for internal packaging with the sale of property
to others
T – Fans
T – Signs, circulars, show cards and posters
T – Vending machines and equipment
NT – Wrapping supplies used in connection with the sale of products

CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES
Generally, clothing is nontaxable except for the following: (1) Formal day
or evening apparel; (2) Articles made of real, imitation, or synthetic fur,
where the fur is more than three times the value of the next most valuable
component material; and (3) Sporting goods and clothing normally
worn or used when engaged in sports (See Category 23).
T – Accessories and ornamental wear
NT – Aprons
NT – Belts and suspenders
*NT – Boots and shoes, designed for everyday wear
T – Bridal apparel and accessories
T – Corsages and boutonnieres
T – Costumes – Halloween, Christmas, etc.
NT – Dress shields
T – Formal clothing, including mother of the bride and flower girl dresses.
T – Fur, articles made of fur on hide or pelt, or any material imitative of fur, and articles of which fur, real, imitation, or synthetic, is the component material of chief value; and fur trimmed articles,
if the value of fur is more than three times the value of the next most valuable component material. Felt, wool, or fabric is not taxable unless it resembles fur on the hide.
NT – Garters and garter belts
NT – Girdles
T – Gloves, baseball, golf, racquet, etc.
NT – Gloves, cloth, leather, kid
T – Gloves, sheepskin, fur, rubber
**T – Graduation caps and gowns
NT – Gym suits
T – Handkerchiefs
NT – Headwear and millinery, all types
NT – Hosiery, pantyhose, and peds
**NT – Hunting clothing, including camouflage and blaze orange
NT – Leotards and tights
NT – Leather wearing apparel
NT – Lingerie
NT – Neckwear, ties
NT – Nightgowns
T – Prom dresses
NT – Rainwear
NT – Receiving blankets
NT – Repairing of wearing apparel
T – Safety clothing – (See Category 17)
NT – Scarves, for headwear and neckwear
NT – Scout uniforms and camp clothes
T – Sheepskin coats
NT – Stockings, including support-hose
NT – Suspenders
**NT – T-shirts, imprinted
T – Tuxedos
T – Umbrellas
NT – Underclothing
NT – Work clothes, work uniforms
NT – Yard goods (to make clothing)

COSMETICS AND TOILET GOODS
T – After shave creams, lotions, powders
T – Antiperspirants
T – Aromatherapy products (Candles, oils, washes, etc.)
T – Atomizers containing perfume and other liquids
T – Bath milks, oils, powders, salts, tablets, crystals, etc.
T – Bath and shower gels, and body shampoos
T – Bleach creams and lotions
T – Blush, rouges
T – Body lotion and creams
T – Breath fresheners and breath sprays
T – Bubble bath preparations
T – Cocoa butter, if advertised or labeled for toilet purposes
T – Colognes
T – Compacts containing blush or powder, compact refills
T – Cosmetics
T – Creams, protective (having cosmetic claims or use as skin creams, antiperspirants)
T – Creams, cleansing, beauty or cold
T – Cuticle softeners and removers
T – Deodorants (even though having a medicinal or curative value, if advertised or labeled for use as a body deodorant)
T – Deodorants (for use in closets, bureau drawers, etc.,for imparting fragrance to clothing)
NT – Deodorants, colostomy
T – Dusting powders
T – Essences and extracts, perfume
T – Eyebrow pencils
T – Eyelash mascara and eyelash and brow dyes
T – Eye shadows, eyeliner
T – Face lotions, facial oils, face creams
T – Face packs
T – Face powders, in loose or cake and liquid form
T – Floral essences
T – Foundation makeup
T – Freckle removers, vanishing creams
T – Hair conditioners and rinses
T – Hairdressings, lotions, tonics, and pomades (regardless of whether they are colored or scented)
T – Hair dyes, colorings, tints, rinses, and bleaches
T – Hair gels and mousse
T – Hair oils
T – Hair removers
NT – Hair restorative medications
T – Hairsprays
T – Hair straighteners
T – Hand lotions and creams
T – Lip balm and ointments
T – Lipsticks, lipstick refills, liquid lip color, lip liner, and lip gloss
T – Lotions, cleansing and beauty
T – Manicure preparations and kits
T – Mask preparations
T – Massage creams
T – Makeup remover
T – Mouthwashes
T – Mustache wax
T – Nail bleaches
T – Nail polish removers
T – Nail polishes, nail lacquers, nail enamel
T – Perfumes and perfume ingredient kits
T – Perfume novelties, containing perfume
T – Permanent waving creams, lotions, neutralizer, and kits
T – Powder bases (liquid, cream, and pressed)
T – Sachets containing powder or aroma producing materials
T – Scalp lotions, which are used or intended for use as a treatment for dry or oily hair
T – Shampoos
T – Shaving preparations, creams, lotions, powders, including medicated preparations
T – Skin balms, bleaches, creams, fresheners, lotions, oils tonics, or whiteners
T – Sun allergy cream
T – Sunburn preventives - suntan creams, lotions, oils, sunblock, etc.
NT – Sunburn treatment, lotions or creams
T – Talcum powder
T – Toothbrush, electric
NT – Toothbrush, toothpaste, tooth cleaners, dental floss, and replacement brushes for electric toothbrush
T – Water Piks
T – Wave set, paste, powder, or lotion
T – Wrinkle removing and concealing preparations

FARMING SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT
Sales tax is not imposed upon the sale of property to a farmer to be used or consumed directly in the business of producing agricultural products. Home gardening is not considered farming. See REV-1729, Farming Information, for additional information.
NT – Artificial breeding equipment and supplies
T – Building supplies and materials used to build and repair barns, sheds, coops, etc.
NT – Cleaners and disinfectants used in cleaning milking equipment and to sterilize milk cans to prevent spoilage. (Property used for general farm cleaning and maintenance is taxable)
NT – Equipment used to extract a product from productive animals or from the soil, such as harvesters, combines, binders, forage blowers, milking equipment, egg collecting equipment, corn shuckers, threshers, manure handling equipment
NT – Equipment such as barn shovels, ensilage forks, wheelbarrows and feed carts
**NT – Farrier services for work horses
NT – Feed and feed additives for productive animals
NT – Fencing, portable when used directly for farm use
T – Fencing, including gates, which become a permanent part of realty
NT – Fertilizer and chemical additives to be added to soil
T – Fire prevention and safety equipment
NT – Fuel for use in heating poultry brooder and greenhouses
NT – Fumigation services upon agricultural commodities or containers used for agricultural commodities
T – Greenhouses and mushroom houses (if permanently installed to the real estate)
NT – Grooming materials, equipment, and supplies when necessary for the health of productive animals
NT – Harnesses used to control productive animals on the farm
NT – Ice
NT – Livestock equipment to dispense chemicals, medicines, and feed additives
NT – Livestock feeding equipment such as tubs, buckets, cans, etc., feed scoops, and portable watering devices
T – Maintenance facilities including tools, machinery and equipment to maintain machinery, equipment or building property, such as chain hoists, tire spreaders, drills, sanders, lumber, nails, wrenches, brooms, welding equipment, paint brushes and sprayers
NT – Milk strainers and strainer discs and towels (dispensers to store and dispense the discs are taxable)
T – Motor vehicles, if required to be licensed by the Dept. of Transportation
NT – Pest control services for agricultural purposes
NT – Property which becomes an ingredient or constituent of a farm product or is consumed by productive animals or plant growth, such as seeds, fertilizer, chemical additives, etc., and property such as seeders, planters, plows, harrows, cultivators, sprayers, and similar equipment used to till soil, plant, seed, and care for productive plants.
NT – Property used to handle, store, or preserve farm products or productive animals on farm premises such as chemicals, grooming equipment (dehorners, debeakers, hoof trimmers, calf weaners, etc.)
T – Property used to transport or convey the farm product after the final farming operation
T – Refrigeration or cooling equipment used to store farm products
NT – Replacement parts such as tires, motors, belts, cutting edges, air filters, gears, and similar replacement parts installed on exempt equipment. Motor fuels, lubricants, compressed air, distilled water, abrasives, and similar supplies when used in operating exempt machinery are not taxable. Tools and equipment to apply parts and supplies are taxable.
NT – Seeds
NT – Silos
T – Water heater for cleaning dairy equipment and supplies
NT – Water pump for farm use
NT – Wrapping supplies and containers which are non-returnable to deliver self-produced farm products.

FLOWERS, SEEDS, FERTILIZERS, ETC.
The tax is imposed upon the sale of property which is purchased by persons
not engaged in the business of farming.
T – Fertilizer, sprays, insecticides
T – Gardening supplies
T – Seeds and bulbs
T – Vegetable plants, flowers, and trees
NT – Vegetable seeds, vegetable plants, and fruit trees purchased
with food stamps

FOOD AND BEVERAGES SOLD FROM A CATERER OR
ESTABLISHMENT SERVING READY-TO-EAT FOOD
Generally, tax is imposed on food and beverages for consumption on or off the premises, or on a take-out or to-go basis, or delivered to the purchaser or consumer, when purchased from a caterer or an eating establishment from which ready-to-eat foods and beverages are sold, such as a restaurant, cafe, lunch counter, private or social club, tavern, dining car, hotel, night club, fast food operation, pizzeria, fair, carnival, lunch cart, ice cream stand, snack bar, lunch truck, cafeteria, employee cafeteria, theatre, stadium, arena, amusement park, juice stand, carryout shop, coffee shop, popcorn stand, and other establishments, whether mobile or immobile.
NT – Alcohol, malt or brewed beverages, and wines. Tax is paid at time of purchase from a Liquor Control Board store or licensed malt beverage distributor.
NT – Candy and gum
T – All food and beverages, in any quantity, including both food and beverages prepared on the premises, and prepackaged food and beverages.
T – Food supplements and substitutes
NT – Ice
T – Nonalcoholic beverages
**NT – Water

FOOD AND BEVERAGES SOLD FROM OTHER THAN
A CATERER OR ESTABLISHMENT SELLING READY-TOEAT
FOOD
*NT – Bitters and grenadine
**NT – Candy apples
NT – Candy and gum
**NT – Caramel Corn
**NT – Coffee, cold bottled, and flavored
NT – Deli items such as meats and cheeses, potato salad, macaroni salad, etc.
NT – Food, fruit drinks, soft drinks, and sandwiches purchased with food stamps
NT – Food supplements in any form
NT – Fruit drinks, noncarbonated or reconstituted, containing at least 25% natural fruit juice
T – Fruit drinks, noncarbonated or reconstituted, containing less than 25% natural fruit juice
NT – Ice
**T – Kettle Korn
**T – Kool Aid
T – Nonalcoholic beverages
**NT – Party trays – vegetable, cheese, seafood, meat
**T – Pumpkins – for decoration
**NT – Pumpkins – for food
T – Soft drinks, bottled and nonbottled (including soft drink mixes in powder, liquid or tablet form)
**NT – Soy milk
**T – Sports drinks
NT – Sweeteners, artificial
NT – Tea, all forms including liquid and powdered tea
NT – Water, including nonflavored mineral water
T – Water, flavored mineral

A vending machine, delicatessen, grocery store, supermarket, farmers
market, bakery, donut shop, pastry shop, or convenience store selling
the following items, whether sold for consumption on or off the premises
or on a take-out or to-go basis, or delivered is considered to be an eating
establishment with respect to the sale of the following items:
T – Brewed coffee
T – Hot beverages
T – Hot food items
T – Hot soup
T – Hot pizza
T – Ice cream, yogurt and other ice based products when hand dipped or hand served
T – Meals - not including prepackaged frozen meals
T – Salad bars, self-service
T – Sandwiches
T – Soft drinks

HAIR GOODS AND NOTIONS
Generally, hair goods are taxable unless the item qualifies as clothing.
T – Hair goods and notions, such as barrettes, hair pins, hair nets, curlers, clips, hair bow holders, combs, brushes, chignons, bandeaux
T – Shower caps
T – Wigs and toupees (the service of cleaning, styling, etc., also is taxable)

HOBBY SUPPLIES, TOYS, GAMES, RADIOS,
RECORDERS, ETC.
T – Baseball, football cards, etc.
T – Bicycles and parts
T – Boats and equipment
T – Computer games and equipment
T – Games
T – Hobby supplies
T – Musical instruments and sheet music
T – Photographic and projection equipment and supplies
T – Photographic services, film developing, printing, processing, mounting, coloring, etc.
T – Pocket knives
T – Radios, TV sets, receiving equipment
T – Sound players, recorders, components and accessories, records, compact discs
T – Tape recorders and tapes
T – Toys
T – Video cassettes, recorders, and cameras

HOME SEWING, MILLINERY AND CRAFT SUPPLIES
Goods and items which are to become a component part of clothing are not taxable. Goods and items which become a component of articles other than clothing, such as formal wear and crafts, are taxable. Equipment and supplies used in sewing are taxable. Clothing is defined as articles designed for everyday wear.
T – Artificial flowers
NT – Buckles for clothing
T – Buckles for articles other than clothing
NT – Buttons for clothing
T – Buttons for articles other than clothing
T – Dress forms
NT – Dress patterns
NT – Fabrics for clothing
T – Fabrics for articles other than clothing
NT – Dye, clothing fabric
NT – Elastics for clothing
T – Elastics for articles other than clothing
**NT – Embroidery of clothing
T – Embroidery hoops
**T – Embroidery of formalwear and other items
NT – Hooks and eyes for clothing
T – Hooks and eyes for articles other than clothing
NT – Knitting yarn for clothing
T – Knitting yarn for articles other than clothing
NT – Laces, ribbons, edgings, trimmings for clothing
T – Laces, ribbons, edgings, trimmings for articles other than clothing
T – Needle-craft instruction books
T – Needles
T – Rug yarns
T – Scissors
T – Sewing kits
NT – Shoulder pads
T – Tape measures
T – Thimbles
NT – Thread for clothing
T – Thread for articles other than clothing
NT – Yard goods for clothing
T – Yard goods for articles other than clothing
T – Yarn holders
NT – Zippers for clothing
T – Zippers for articles other than clothing

HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND SUPPLIES
T – Air fresheners
T – Ant traps
T – Basin stoppers
T – Batteries
T – Bedding
T – Books
T – Boot caddy
T – Brooms
T – Buckets
T – Candles
T – Charcoal
T – Cloth dish towels
T – Cloth hand and bath towels
T – Cloth laundry bags
T – Clothesline
T – Clothespins
T – Coat hangers
T – Cookware, pots and pans
T – Cutlery
T – Decorations
T – Dinnerware
T – Dishpans
T – Dispensers
T – Door mat
T – Drinking glasses
T – Easter egg color/paint
T – Extension cords
T – Filters, disposable air
T – Fire extinguishers
T – Fly swatters
T – Fly tapes
T – Furnishings, appliances, fittings, ornaments, furniture, equipment, and accessories. Furnishings including bedding, rugs, lamps, hardware, electrical goods, mirrors, pillows, scarves for furniture, bookends, clocks, glassware, crockery, silverware, flatware, and other household wares.
T – Fuses
T – Glue
T – Greeting cards
T – Grill utensils, scrapers
T – Grill replacement parts
T – Hardware and tools
T – Household linens, blankets
T – Insecticide sprays
T – Ironing board and covers
T – Jars for canning and jar lids
T – Light bulbs
T – Lubricating oils
T – Matches
T – Metal and plastic cooking utensils and flatware
T – Mops
T – Moth balls and moth flakes
T – Mouse traps
T – Needles
T – Notebooks
T – Oilcloth
T – Paints, brushes, and painting equipment
T – Paint removers
T – Plants, vegetable and flower (see Category 6)
T – Playing cards
T – Polishing cloths
T – Refrigerator deodorants
T – Rubber gloves
T – Rug shampoo applicators
T – Salt, water softeners
T – Sandpaper
T – Scrub brushes
T – Seeds, vegetable and flower (see Category 6)
T – Shoe brushes
T – Sponges
T – Squeegee scraper
T – Stationery
T – Static control spray, sheets
T – Thermometers
T – Thimbles
T – Tie racks
T – Toothpicks
T – Turpentine and paint thinner
T – Vacuum bottles
T – Vacuum cleaner bags, disposable
T – Vacuum cleaner parts
T – Ventilating fans and equipment
T – Water filters, replacement
T – Wax applicators
T – Wax paraffin

SOAPS AND DETERGENTS
T – Bleaches
T – Bluing
T – Borax
T – Cleaner, septic tank, hand, oven, toilet bowl, or tile
T – Cleansers
T – Detergents
T – Drain opener
T – Dry cleaning kits
T – Presoaks
T – Rug shampoo
T – Soaps, scented and unscented
T – Softeners (fabric)
T – Spot removers
T – Starch
T – Whiteners

CLEANING AND POLISHING PREPARATIONS
T – Car cleaners and waxes
T – Glass cleaner
T – Polishes, floor, furniture, silver and similar items
T – Removers, rust or wax
T – Scouring pads
T – Steel wool

PAPER GOODS
T – Cups, paper, plastic or styrene
NT – Disposable diapers and incontinence products
T – Drop cloths, paper and plastic
T – Facial tissue
T – Filters, coffee
T – Napkins
T – Place mats
T – Plates, paper, plastic, or styrofoam
NT – Sanitary napkins, tampons, or similar items used for feminine hygiene
T – Shelf paper, liners
T – Straws
T – Tablecloths
NT – Toilet tissue
T – Towels
NT – Wet-wipes

WRAPPING SUPPLIES
T – Aluminum foil
T – Food bags
T – Plastic wraps
T – Tape, masking, scotch, plastic, freezer, duct
T – Trash bags, paper and plastic
T – Twine
T – Wax paper
T – Wrapping paper, including gift wrapping, ribbons, etc.

INFANT SUPPLIES
T – Accessories, nursing bottles, nipples, teething beads, teethers
NT – Bibs
T – Car seats, infant
T – Crib blankets
T – Diaper bags
NT – Diaper pins
NT – Diapers, cloth and disposable
NT – Diaper service
T – Liners, (nursing bottles)
*NT – Receiving blankets for infants
NT – Rubber pants

JEWELRY
T – Earring backs
T – Jewelry, although a religious symbol is incorporated
T – ornaments and pins for hats and dresses

LUGGAGE, HANDBAGS, CARRYING BAGS, WALLETS,
ETC.
T – Bags, carrying, athletic, book, etc.
T – Handbags, pocketbooks and purses
T – Knitting bags
T – Leather goods, except clothing
T – Luggage, briefcases
T – Wallets and billfolds

MEDICINE, DRUGS AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES;
PROSTHETIC AND THERAPEUTIC DEVICES
The tax is not imposed on prescription or nonprescription medicines and drugs or medical supplies, crutches, and wheelchairs for the use of people with disabilities, artificial limbs, artificial eyes, and artificial hearing devices, when designed to be worn on the person of the purchaser or user, false teeth and materials used by a dentist in dental treatment, eyeglasses, when especially designed or prescribed by an ophthalmologist, oculist or optometrist for the personal use of the owner or purchaser, and artificial braces and supports designed solely for the use of people with disabilities, or any other therapeutic, prosthetic or artificial device designed for the use of a particular individual to correct or alleviate a physical incapacity, including, but not limited to, hospital beds, iron lungs, and kidney machines.
T – Acne cleaners and acne pads
NT – Acne treatments, lotions, creams
T – Adhesive removers
NT – Adhesives used for medical treatment
T – Air cleaners and electrostatic machines
*NT – Alcohol, rubbing, swabs and wipes
NT – Analgesics
NT – Antacids
NT – Antiseptics, for external use only
NT – Applicators (See "Cotton applicators”)
NT – Arch supports
NT – Arm slings
NT – Artificial eyes
NT – Artificial limbs
NT – Aspirin
T – Autoclave
NT – Automobile accessories, when noted by the Department of Transportation upon the motor vehicle operator's license of the purchaser that such accessories are necessary, and when charges for accessories are stated separately by the vendor on the sales invoice.
NT – Automobile wheelchair lifts
T – Baby powder
NT – Bandages, dressings, gauze, and cotton
T – Bath tub and bathroom safety devices
T – Batteries, unless purchased from a medical supply house
T – Bed boards
NT – Bed drain bags
NT – Bed pans
NT – Bed trapeze bars
NT – Benzoin
T – Bidet toilet seats
T – Blankets
T – Blood agar plates
NT – Blood glucose monitors used to treat diabetes (therapeutic devices)
NT – Blood pack units
T – Blood pressure testing apparatus
NT – Bone pins
NT – Braces and supports worn on the body to correct or alleviate a physical incapacity
NT – Braille teaching texts
T – Breast pumps
NT – Breathing units, intermittent positive pressure
NT – Burn ointment and lotion
NT – Calamine lotion
NT – Canes
NT – Cardiac emergency kit
NT – Cardiac pacemakers and electrodes
NT – Castor oil
NT – Catheters and accessories
T – Chemical agents and related supplies for analysis of patients’ specimens
NT – Cod liver oil
NT – Colostomy appliances
NT – Colostomy deodorants
NT – Commodes, chair bedside
NT – Commode seats, elevated for use by incapacitateded persons
NT – Contact lenses, and wetting solutions
T – Contact lenses cleaning solutions
NT – Corn pads and plasters for the removal of corns
NT – Cotton applicators, cotton rolls, cotton balls and cotton swabs
NT – Cough and cold items, cough drops, cough syrups
NT – Crutches
NT – Crutch pads
NT – Defibrillators
T – Dehumidifiers
NT – Dental floss
NT – Dental materials used in dental treatment, including x-ray film, cotton, impression and materials
T – Dentist chair
NT – Dentist drills, disposable
NT – Dentist materials which are transferred to the patient, including dentures, fillings, crowns, inlays, bridges and lingual or palatal bars
T – Dentist replacement burs, drills, reusable
NT – Denture products, including denture cleaners and adhesives
T – Deodorants, personal and room
T – Diagnostic equipment
T – Diagnostic glassware and diagnostic testing materials
NT – Dialysis machines
NT – Diathermy machines
NT – Dietary supplements and substitutes, in any form
NT – Diet pills
T – Disinfectants
NT – Drapes, paper
T – Ear plugs
T – EKG mounts and EKG paper
NT – Elastic bandages and braces
T – Electrocardiocorder
NT – Emesis basins or pans
NT – Epsom salts
T – Esophageal dilator
T – Eucalyptus oil
NT – Examining table paper
T – Exercise equipment, including exercise bikes and treadmill exercisers
NT – Eye ointment
NT – Eye pads
NT – Eye washes
NT – Eyeglasses, prescription
NT – False teeth
NT – First aid kits
NT – Fluidic breathing assistor
NT – Food substitutes
NT – Foot pads, insoles, all types
NT – Foot products for treatment of infections
NT – Gauze
NT – Gloves, surgical, disposable
**NT – Glucose tablets
NT – Glycerine
NT – Gowns, medical
NT – Hearing aids and batteries
T – Heaters, portable, room
NT – Heating pads
NT – Hospital beds, having side rails, electric and non-electric with attachments
NT – Hot water bottles
T – Humidifiers
NT – Hygienic needs, douche powder, vaginal preparations
NT – Hydrogen peroxide
NT – Ice bags
NT – lleostomy bags
NT – Incontinence products, including incontinence pants
NT – Infusion pumps
NT – Inhalation therapy equipment and equipment used to provide emergency breathing assistance
NT – Insulin
T – Intravenous stand
NT – IUD devices
T – Laboratory testing and analysis equipment and supplies
NT – Lactose intolerance medication
NT – Lamps, ultraviolet and infrared
**NT – Lancets
NT – Laxatives and cathartics
NT – Lifters, patient
NT – Lubricating jelly
NT – Lymphedema pumps
**T – MRI equipment
T – Mattresses, air
NT – Mattresses, alternating positive pressure
NT – Mattresses and covers for hospital beds
T – Medical alert cards
T – Medical alert systems
**NT – Medicated powder
NT – Medicine cups, disposable
T – Microscopes
NT – Milk of magnesia
T – Mouthwashes
NT – Muscle stimulator, electronic for physical therapy
NT – Nasal cannula
T – Nasal speculum
T – Needle holder
NT – Needles, disposable
T – Needles and syringes, reusable
NT – Orthodontic brackets
T – Orthodontic trays
NT – Orthopedic splints
T – Overbed tables
NT – Oxygen and oxygen equipment, when used for medical treatment
NT – Pads, moist heat pad, alternating positive pressure pad, flotation pad, lambs wool pad
NT – Paraffin bath units, standard or portable
T – Percussors
NT – Pet medicines
NT – Petroleum jelly
NT – Physical therapy equipment, when designed exclusively for use in correcting or alleviating a physical incapacity
T – Plaque remover
T – Pore cleaners, medicated, pore strips
NT – Postural drainage boards
NT – Postural support chairs
NT – Pre-moistened wipes
NT – Prophylactics
NT – Prostheses (mammary, malar, chin, urinary, incontinence, etc.)
T – Pumice powder
NT – Pump, diaphragm, pressure vacuum
T – Razor blades
NT – Rectal preparations
T – Safety grab bars
NT – Sanitary napkins, tampons, and similar items
T – Sanitizer, air
T – Sauna baths
T – Scissors
T – Shaving products
T – Sheets, cloth
NT – Sheets, disposable
NT – Shoe insoles, orthopedically designed
NT – Sitz bath
NT – Smoking deterrents, gum and patch
T – Soaps
NT – Specimen containers, disposable
T – Sphygmomanometer
T – Sphygmostat
*NT – Stair gliders for persons having a physical disability, installed in the purchaser’s home, and pursuant to a physician’s prescription
T – Stethoscope
NT – Styptic pencils
T – Suction machines and pumps
NT – Sunburn treatment lotions or creams
T – Sunglasses (unless prescription)
T – Suntan lotion, sunblock
NT – Suppositories
T – Surgical instruments
NT – Surgical instruments and supplies, single use disposable
**NT – Surgical masks, disposable
NT – Sutures
NT – Syringes, disposable
T – Syringes, reusable
T – Tables, bedside
T – Tables, examining
T – Talcum powder
**T – Teeth whitening strips
T – Telecaption equipment
NT – Test strips used in treatment of diabetes
T – Testing kits, pregnancy, UTI
T – Thermometer, medical
NT – Thermometer covers, disposable
NT – Tongue depressor, disposable
30
NT – Toothache drops
NT – Toothbrushes
NT – Toothpaste
NT – Tourniquets
NT – Trachea tubes
NT – Traction units, including bed stand, anklet,extension, pelvic or cervical units, head holder, fracture unit with trapeze bar set, weights, weight bags, pelvic lacing belt, and over door traction equipment
NT – Tubing, intravenous
NT – Urine drain bag
T – Vacutainers
NT – Vaginal diaphragms
T – Vapona strips
T – Vaporizers
NT – Vitamins
NT – Walking bars and walkers
*NT – Wheelchairs, manual and motorized, scooters, and batteries
T – Whirlpool baths and whirlpool pumps
**T – Wigs
T – X-ray equipment and machines
T – X-ray film and chemicals not used by dentists

MISCELLANEOUS
T – Antiques
*NT – Bullion, investment metal
**NT – Body tattooing and piercing
NT – Caskets, burial vaults, markers, cremation urns and tombstones for human graves, including foundations
**T – Christmas trees
T – Coin banks and coin holders
*NT – Coins, investment (numismatic coins and legal tender)
**T – Compressed air, dispensed
**T – Corkage fee
T – Dry ice, except when sold as an internal packaging material to retailer, manufacturer, or processor
NT – Safety equipment and devices designed and worn by production personnel employed in manufacturing, processing, mining, public utility, farming, and dairying. Examples: asbestos suits, gloves, aprons, boots, masks, helmets, goggles, and similar items
T – Equipment and devices worn by nonproduction personnel
T – Fencing materials
NT – Flags of the U.S. and Commonwealth. Bunting and others are taxable.
T – Flags kits, that include poles or brackets
T – Fuel for motor vehicles, except when subject to Liquid Fuel or Fuel Use Tax
**T – Global positioning satellite, equipment and service
**NT – Health club membership fees
**T – Hot tubs and spas, regardless of physician’s recommendation
T – Lunch kits, vacuum bottles, and replacement parts
*T – Motor vehicle repair services (including labor), accessories, parts, supplies, lubricants, equipment, vehicle and emission inspection
*T – Paper money, which is not legal tender in U.S.A., is taxable on full purchase price
*T – Paper money, which is legal tender in U.S.A., is taxable on amount in excess of face value
**NT – Parking fees
T – Party favors
NT – Pony rides
T – Religious articles
T – Scout supplies and training manuals, except when sold to a scout troop
T – Souvenirs
T – Stamps, uncancelled U.S.A. stamps are taxable on amount in excess of face value
T – Stamps, cancelled U.S.A. stamps and all foreign stamps are taxable on the full purchase price
**NT – Tanning booth fees
T – Trading stamp redemption for taxable property
NT – Coupon books sold to individual consumers

OPTICAL GOODS
NT – Contact lenses, and wetting solutions
T – Contact lenses cleaning solutions
NT – Eyeglasses, prescription
T – Magnifying glasses
T – Opera glasses and field glasses
T – Sunglasses (prescription sunglasses are exempt)

PETS
NT – Boarding, sitting, or walking
T – Clippers and clipper lubricants
T – Equipment (collars, leashes, etc.)
**T – Farrier services for pet horses
NT – Flea collars, flea powder, flea and tick soap, and tick sprays
T – Food, including food supplements and prescription food
T – Grooming
NT – Medicines and medical supplies
T – Pet caskets and urns
NT – Pet cremation and burial services
*T – Sale or rental of pets, or adoption from shelters, which includes fees for shots and spaying or neutering
T – Shampoo
**T – Veterinarian equipment
NT – Veterinarian services
T – Vitamins

RELIGIOUS ARTICLES
Bibles, religious publications, and religious articles are subject to tax unless purchased by organizations qualifying as institutions of purely public charities which hold an exemption number prefixed by the number 75, and government entities.
T – Bibles (printed, audio or electronic data)
T – Candles used in religious worship
T – Holy water bottles
T – Clergy vestments and choir and altar server clothing
T – Nativity scenes
T – Religious statues, medals and symbols used in religious worship
T – Religious publications sold by religious groups
T – Rosaries
T – Wines used in religious services

RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES
Equipment, implements and similar property for use in the preparation and service of food is taxable.
T – Carbonator for soda fountain operation
NT – Carbon dioxide for soda fountain
**NT – Chef hats
**T – Disposable trays
T – Equipment used to prepare and serve food and beverages
T – Ice making equipment
**T – Latex gloves
T – Napkins, wooden or plastic spoons, forks, straws, and similar articles for use in restaurants, vending machines, and other eating places
**T – Placemats
**T – Toothpicks
T – Vending machines and equipment
**NT – Work uniforms
NT – Wrapping supplies, paper or plastic plates, cups, and similar articles for the delivery of food, used by restaurants or in vending machines
21
SHOES AND SHOE ACCESSORIES
Generally shoes designed for everyday wear are exempt. However, shoes designed for formal wear or sporting activities are taxable.
T – Bathing (swimming) shoes
NT – Overshoes
NT – Safety shoes
T – Shoe brushes, applicators, and shoe trees
T – Shoe clips
NT – Shoe dye
NT – Shoe laces
NT – Shoe polish
NT – Shoe repairs
T – Shoes for baseball, bowling, football, golf, soccer, hockey, dance, etc.
T – Shoes for formal wear, such as metallic cloth, brocade, satin, or silver leather, primarily for formal wear.
NT – Slippers
NT – Shoe soles and heels for shoe repair
NT – Shower clogs
NT – Sneakers, jogging, tennis and aerobic shoes

SPORTING EQUIPMENT, CLOTHING, SUPPLIES AND
RECREATIONAL EQUIPMENT
Tax is imposed on sporting and recreational equipment, clothing and supplies which are designed to be worn and are normally worn only when engaged in sports.
T – Accessories such as ammunition belts, hip waders, and fly vests
NT – Baseball caps and tee shirts
T – Bathing caps
T – Bathing suits
T – Beach coats
T – Bicycles, parts, accessories, and supplies
T – Boats, pleasure boats, and equipment and parts
NT – Bowling shirts
**T – Bowling shoes, purchase and rental
T – Equipment and supplies for baseball, football, hockey, basketball, and other sports
T – Exercise equipment
T – Guns and ammunition
NT – Gym suits, outfits
T – Helmets
**T – Hunting accessories
*NT – Hunting clothing, including camouflage and blaze orange
NT – Jogging outfits, running shoes
T – Mats, floor
T – Protective equipment, knee pads, elbow pads, forearm pads, etc.
T – Sleeping bags
NT – Sneakers, jogging, tennis and aerobic shoes, etc.
NT – Snowmobile suits
T – Uniforms, baseball, football, soccer, basketball, hockey etc.
NT – Warm-up suits, cloth sweat suits
T – Weights
*T – Skates, ice, roller, in-line and sharpening

TOBACCO PRODUCTS
T – Chewing tobacco, snuff
T – Cigarettes
T – Smoking accessories
T – Tobacco, cigars

UTILITIES AND FUEL
NT – Coal
NT – Coin-operated telephone charges
**T – Corn pellets
T – Firelogs, processed
NT – Firewood, kindling, and wood pellets for residential use
NT – Fuel oil, gas, steam, or electricity purchased for residential use
T – Fuel oil, gas, steam, or electricity purchased for commercial use
T – Interstate and intrastate telephone services for residential or commercial use
NT – Basic telephone service and subscriber line charges for residential use
T – Basic telephone service and subscriber line charges for commercial use
T – Utilities for office or business within home

Click Below For A
"Retailers Informational Brochure (pdf)"
Course this would all go away with a simple 'Flat Sales Tax'.

NAH... that would put way too many out of work.

Labor Day

The History Channel- The origins of Labor Day

St Maarten's Labor Day Parade

Dutch Side -

May 01, 2009

Telling Tales

Since I'm on a bit of a nostalgia kick today, I thought I relay a couple of the late father-in-law's experiences as a ice cream delivery driver. Good ole' Howard.

Wasn't anyone who knew him that wasn't blessed with a couple of containers of Breyers in their freezers. In the old days it wasn't forbidden to hand out a few of the returns from stores.

Each Friday night for years we gathered around the ole Beer Meister and Howard would share of his Breyers ice cream box truck delivery days after retiring a few years earlier. Here are just a few of those...

* Weekly as he made his rounds in the Bangor area he was once pulled over by a state cop by a bridge. No big deal. The trooper said he was just doing a routine truck inspection.

Yeah right. Howard knew he wanted... to hit him up for a couple. Well he offered up two half gallons for him to share with the boys at the barracks.

Faithfully each and every week he would get to the bridge and the trooper would be waiting. Howard would stop and pull up to the trooper's car. Dutifully he offered his two half gallons for the barracks. This went on for month after month for many months.

Then one day he was pulled up to the state police car and offer up his bounty. However this time the trooper was not the same one. Turns out the trooper was replacing the prior one while he was vacation.

The guy looked back to see the ice cream truck pull up and out step the driver. The trooper got out of his car before Howard reached the back of the truck and asked what was he doing? Howard introduced himself and said, "why I'm giving you ice cream" and introduced himself to the new enforcer of the law.

The cop replied, "it's about time"! "What do you mean", said Howard. "Well you drive all around Bangor and never once offered us any".

WHAT! I've been handing out almost a dozen of these every month to that buddy of yours. That was news to this trooper, he nor any of his partners ever got any.

Well a least we know there was one guy who cared about the troopers & their brethren... Howard!

Certainly not the trooper who so graciously accepted the gallons of ice cream. Gives another meaning to the 'Blue Code of Silence' doesn't it?
-----

* An angry store owner (in the 50's) demanded that Howard take back that damn 3 gallon drum of cherry ice cream. All it has in it is cherries NO ICE CREAM!

NO PROBLEM. Here's your replacement!

Dispatch said just get rid of it. And so the whole neighborhood had cherries enough to last a lifetime. Can you imagine how much more that store owner could have made just selling the cherries?
-----

* In the old days, drivers collected strictly cash. Howard had to drive back down to Philly.. ice cream gone with a metal box full of lots of cash. One return trip down University Ave. to the plant some poor fella was stuck in the middle of the street with a car broken down.

Being a good representative for the company he pulled over to see if he could use the truck to somehow help.

Yeah you guessed it. He was clubbed and the lights went out along with three days worth of collections.
-----

* As I said, he picked up three days worth of deliveries in Philly. At night he'd plug the trucks refrigeration into a 220 volt line out by Rt 309 & 22 at a dealer.

After he arrived late afternoon back in town, he decided to start his three days worth of deliveries early the following morning.

When he plugged it in... something just didn't sound right with the refrigeration unit.

He went into the truck repair dealership and expressed his concern. Howard your all wet, said the man who should know. Well Ok, but you should check it. Yeah I will, says the guy.

So early the next morning Howard pulls up to his truck with intentions to hop in and make his deliveries. However when he was just several feet from his ride... there was a river of melted ice cream running down the length of the lot. Along with a compliment of many anxious and curious bees.

It appeared that one side of the 220 was out

"Oooohhhh how he hated to call dispatch"!
-----

* Speaking of calling dispatch. Sometimes that is just so unnecessary.

One afternoon after picking up his full load and heading up the Schuylkill Expressway towards home. There was some kind of racket coming out of the back of the truck's box. Gee, Howard hoped no one was pranked and locked in there. Well you certainly can't pull over can you?

Pulling the grade just North of the Vine St. exit... THUMP! CRASH! What the....???

Looking out the rearview mirrors.. OH NO! The racks were most likely not secured and broke through the back doors. Hundreds of ice cream containers of all sizes all over the Schuylkill!!!

Despite what you hear, Philly people are the greatest people in the world. A huge traffic jam occurred and dozens of motorists stopped and picked up almost all the containers within minutes. Problem is they threw them in their cars and drove off around him.

Now Howard was so screwed. He would need to call dispatch. Oh No NOT AGAIN!

Well dispatch picked up the phone and said we already know all about it. We heard it on 'Go Patrol' on KYW.

The biggest thing wasn't that it happened, but rather who would win the bets. Was it Howard or some other driver?

BTW: Most bets were it was Howard!
-----

* Howard, The professional driver: One day after Breyer's was bought out by a huge corporation, upper management experts felt drivers weren't educated enough. So they sent driving experts to conduct driver training seminars.

One bird absolutely insisted that Howard was 100% wrong as to when your truck's air brakes catastrophically begin to fail you must 'ease' on your emergency brake handle slowly.

Howard on a occasion was a thorn in management and simply wouldn't let it go. He insisted all the drivers come outside so he and the 'driving expert' could hop in his truck to apply this theory into actual practice.

So there stood 10 or 20 drivers on the sidelines as Howard sped across the parking lot instructing the expert to "EASE" the emergency brake lever on (knowing how this would turn out, braced himself)

Luckily in those days they still had a plant nurse to apply cold compresses to the 'experts' thick noggin while a bunch of drivers tried to hold back their giggles.
-----

* One last one. And this concerns unions. Howard was a proud union member of the old ways unions should be. He wasn't always on the wrong side of managment.

There was a strike vote coming up and Howard stood up before the membership and said, "Hey guys the company wants to give us a 50 cent an hour raise. The union demands a $.75.

Think about this... If you guys go out on strike if only for a week and even if you do get the $.25 more... It will take us months to make up the $10 more a week then the $.50 they are offering". Not to even mention the hardships of you younger guys just starting out with mortgages.

The vote was for NO STRIKE.

He did much the same thing at another union meeting. Guys with seniority wanted all 3 weeks of their vacations in the summer.

Howard said, "come on guys". Most all of you senior guys (like me) have kids all grown up. These young new guys with little seniority have young kids they'd like to take to the shore like we did when we were their age.

Why not take 1 or 2 weeks while school's out and there would be enough weeks left over for each of the young guys to get at least one week with their families in the summer?

APPROVED!
-----

Howard was not only a good father-in-law, but one hell'va a good human being.

He may not have been the most highly known in stature , but to all who had known him.. he was most highly regarded as a person of character.

And for that, I'm better to have known him.