Shoppers, beware – not even a city-government scolding has kept some stores from charging sales tax on clothing items exempt from taxation.
A Post reporter checked on whether taxes were charged at Brooklyn stores already cited by the city for breaking tax rules.
Two Macy’s outlets in Brooklyn stumbled over what’s taxable and what isn’t.
Macy’s in downtown Brooklyn charged 8.25 percent tax on a baby blanket, which should have been tax-exempt.
The blanket “comes up as ‘household’ on the computer,” a clerk explained. “Therefore, the computer doesn’t read it as clothing.”
A manager had a similar explanation when asked why a girl’s belt was taxed at the Macy’s at Kings Plaza Mall.
“It comes up on the computer as accessories, not clothes,” said Carolyn Alsop, manager of the store’s children’s department. “That’s why the computer automatically charges taxes on it.”
Alsop refunded the mistakenly charged tax.
Other stores cited in the city’s survey seem to have fixed their computers.
The Children’s Place in downtown Brooklyn didn’t charge tax on a baby’s ruffled bib and a gingham sun hat – items taxed in the city’s survey last month.
And Sears at Kings Plaza Mall didn’t charge tax yesterday on a bib or a blanket, which also were taxed in the city survey.