Hey folks, I thought you would all like to know that the story about the
Meridian and Cirrus owners getting hit with Florida state sales or use
tax for allegedly doing nothing more than stopping there is actually A
REPEAT FROM MAY 2007! Here's the original story (NOTE THE ARTICLE DATE):

http://www.aero-news.net/news/genav....4039&Dynamic=1

Okay - now - why is the story being rehashed at just this time? Any of
you students of life care to raise a hand and give an answer? ;-)

Oh yeah - and my suspicion that the Piper Meridian was actually a sale
of a new aircraft from a Florida based company (and therefore reasonably
subject to Florida sales tax) is hinted at by these quotes from that
article:

"... Piper is reportedly NOT pleased about the Meridian tax bill noted
above ... We have a feeling that Piper CEO Jim Bass may have a few
things to say, as a result of these recent events, since anyone taking
delivery at a Florida Piper plant may find themselves with a tax bill,
even if they leave the state right away and never darken the state's
borders again."

So basically the article all but admits the buyer of that ~$1.9M Piper
Meridian[1] took delivery in Florida. No wonder someone well heeled
enough to afford that kind of plane didn't try very hard to contest the
6% sales tax (~$114,000).

[1] http://www.newpiper.com/aircraft/mer...ifications.asp