PARMA, Ohio — One Northeast Ohio restaurant group claims they were erroneously charging customers sales tax during the state's tax-free holiday because they didn't realize the list of eligible purchases had expanded. It's just one of many examples of both patrons and businesses not totally understanding how the new holiday guidelines are supposed to work.
The small little piece of paper on her kitchen table makes one area woman laugh now. She preferred not to show her face or use her name for our story, but was happy to show us the piece of paper.
The woman was charged sales tax after eating lunch, something that would not have happened at that same restaurant just a few hours later.
"I didn't know what's going on," confessed Branka Djurin, owner of Das Schnitzel Haus in Parma. "I don't watch news."
Djurin has owned and expanded her restaurant in the region across the last 20 years, and never had any issues during tax-free weekend. She says it was never her intention to charge sales tax incorrectly, but nobody from the state or local government told the restaurant their food should have been tax-free.
"It's not for my pocket, it's not out from my pocket," Djurin reasoned, explaining why she wouldn't be motivated to make money on tax. "The money, sales tax, is going back to the government."
A statement from Gov. Mike DeWine's office on May 31 explains how the holiday has been expanded from school supplies-only to basically anything that isn't a motor vehicle, alcohol. or marijuana. It's grown from a single weekend into 10 days across July and August.
It's a message Djurin wishes she had gotten firsthand. After enough customers complained to staff, Das Schnitzel Haus realized the mistake and stopped charging tax.
"It's easier for the customer, a few bucks more, to have another beer, maybe," Djurin laughed.
The comments on 3News' social media pages suggest many people across Ohio didn't know about the holiday expansion, but businesses should be informed. According to the state's website, the holiday is set by law and vendors must comply.
3News Investigates has reached out to multiple state agencies for interviews, hoping to understand how businesses were informed about the new holiday guidelines and how customers can protect themselves against being wrongly charged. So far, we have not heard back.
If you believe you have been improperly charged during the tax-free holiday, there are ways to be reimbursed.