Tulsans are receiving letters asking them to pay sales tax years after purchasing hearing aids

TULSA, Okla. – Myron Harris and Scott Averill couldn’t believe their eyes when they received letters with bills for unpaid sales tax on their hearing aids.

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Harris bought his more than three years ago. His letter claimed more than $500 in unpaid sales tax. Averill’s letter asked for even more. He bought his hearing aids two years ago and claims they have changed his life.

He told 2 News he damaged his hearing in his early teens from shootings without hearing protection. “When I first put these on, I heard noises I had never heard before.”

The letters requesting these unpaid sales taxes came from American Hearing Audiology. Wcott Weidemeyer, CFO, told 2 News his company operates in multiple states and most states do not charge sales tax on hearing aids. He admits he misinterpreted Oklahoma law requiring a sales tax on hearing aids.

The Oklahoma Tax Commission tells 2 News that state law requires sales taxes to be collected on hearing aids unless Medicare or Medicaid pays for them.

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“We realize we screwed up,” Weidemeyer said.

He told 2 News that an audit of three years of sales of American Hearing Audiology and The Scholl Center clinics in Oklahoma found they had not collected sales taxes on about $300,000.

Weidemeyer told 2 News that the letters to patients were his attempt to now collect and remit taxes that should have been collected from patients at the time of purchasing the hearing aids and remitted to the state.

“I’m certainly not going to back down from paying it to the state of Oklahoma,” he said, “so I’m going to try to provide as much support as I can to as many patients and customers as I can.”

The letters state that if customers do not send the missing taxes to American Hearing within 30 days, the state of Oklahoma could seek collection of the balance.

The State Tax Commission told 2 News:

Averill said: “It should have been collected at the point of sale – it’s a mistake they made – it’s their responsibility to settle with the tax commission, which I think they will do, and they’re just trying to get that back.” “Debt is my opinion.

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