this_moi t1_j98aufx wrote on February 20, 2023 at 12:43 AM

If the meal is "for a legitimate business purpose" and is being paid for by a Harvard employee using a Harvard corporate credit card (or by invoicing) then it is legit. Annoying but legit.

They do owe you both an ST-2 and ST-5, though.

It's not just Harvard btw. I've worked at multiple colleges where this is the official policy, but it's only enforced so much as individuals remember to do something about it, which isn't often.

onerandomtask OP t1_j98xgii wrote on February 20, 2023 at 3:49 AM

Thank you for this. For sure spoke to my friend about it tonight and he gave me some insights so I have a better understanding and know what to talk to Harvard about when I call.

TonberryDuchess t1_j9chhr1 wrote on February 20, 2023 at 10:29 PM

This is a non-profit thing in Massachusetts in general. It's not just the colleges.

albertogonzalex t1_j9et7si wrote on February 21, 2023 at 12:07 PM

In the US.

TonberryDuchess t1_j9f3x18 wrote on February 21, 2023 at 1:49 PM

It varies by the state. Not all states grant sales or meal tax exemptions to non-profits, some limit it to certain types, and some require additional steps to qualify.

TheOriginalTerra t1_j9bor6h wrote on February 20, 2023 at 7:20 PM

I work at MIT and have to deal with this on the regular. Enforcement is handled differently depending on the department. I work closely with two departments, and one doesn't care, and the other will ask me to contact the restaurant and get the tax refunded if the bill wasn't tax-exempted in the first place. Talk about a pain!