In 2007, the issue of self-storage service tax became particularly looming, with more than one state scrambling to avert the nasty fate. At the end of December, we eked by with a small victory in this area, as a Sisseton, S.D., facility walked away from trial with a favorable ruling. A local judge decided that the site's owners would NOT have to pay sales tax on its units. Now the state Department of Revenue must decide whether to appeal to the state Supreme Court.
For now, at least, self-storage in that state is safe; we'll see how the year unfolds. I predict a sharp increase in this threat during 2008, as states salivate over potential revenue and witness the battles taking place in other areas.
I hope you all had a fantastic set of holidays. Personally, I'm relieved to see them over and done. Life can now return to the same bat time, same bat channelstill frenzied, but hopefully less expensive and emotionally draining.
Have a New Year's Prediction for the industry? I invite you to share it here in the blog! Let's see if we can divine what the future holds in store for storage ...