Checking the list of naughty and nice

Some editors offer roses or thorns, thumbs up or thumbs down, or cheers and jeers to newsmakers for good or bad behavior.

I’m going to spare readers such devices while noting some recent philanthropic activity and, in contrast, some questionable conduct.

Philanthropy

Freeman Health System and Freeman Foundation recently announced the donation of $500,000 from the J.P. Humphreys Foundation. The charitable foundation is named for late TAMKO president J.P. (Jay) Humphreys.

“This gift will allow Freeman to continue the tradition of providing quality health care – today and for generations to come,” said Gary Duncan, Freeman’s president and CEO, in a news release. “As a not-for-profit health system, we especially appreciate the Humphreys’ generosity because it enhances our ability to set new standards in safety, service, and care.”

The Freeman Foundation also recently received a $5,000 donation from Arvest Bank on behalf of the Walton Family Foundation. The bank and the foundation also gave $5,000 to the Ozark Center for the Turnaround Ranch, a residential care program for youths, and $5,000 to the St. John’s Regional Foundation. The St. John’s foundation will use the funds for fire departments and first responders and health clinics.

Baxter BioScience, the parent company of BioLife Plasma Services, which operates a location in Joplin, awarded a $52,928 grant to Community Support Services to help support the First Steps Program. First Steps helps families or infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities.

Avoiding taxes

On the other hand, our sister newspaper, the Springfield Business Journal, reports that the Missouri Department of Revenue is publishing the names of businesses with revoked sales-tax licenses in hopes the “embarrassment” factor will lead to compliance.

According to an article by SBJ’s Matt Wagner, the list is published on the department’s Web site, www.dor.mo.gov, and allows visitors to search businesses by city, county, business name or license number. Each result includes the business name, owner’s name, address of all revoked locations and revocation date. DOR spokeswoman Maura Browning said the revocation database would be updated weekly.

A recent online search revealed 22 Jasper County businesses whose sales tax licenses had been revoked by the state. Several of the businesses are no longer in operation, but some are still open.

Statewide, more than 1,000 businesses have had their sales tax licenses revoked for failing to remit between $30 million and $50 million in revenue owed to DOR, Browning said.

DOR may revoke a sales tax license if a business either fails to remit sales tax collected from customers or income tax withheld from employees. A new law gives the department the authority to publish the names of businesses that have lost their licenses.

“The embarrassment associated with being listed should drive greater compliance,” DOR Director Trish Vincent said in a news release. “Second, enforcement will be easier, since local law enforcement as well as regular citizens can examine the list and report businesses that have illegally reopened.”

Browning said businesses that collect sales tax without a valid license are operating outside the law. In the past, she said, DOR has worked with local utility companies and municipal governments to shut down businesses operating illegally.

DOR is asking citizens to report businesses still operating with a revoked sales tax license by sending an e-mail to revocations@dor.mo.gov.

Identities of those who report violations remain confidential, according to the Web site.

Jeff Wells is editor of Joplin Tri-State Business.