Student identification cards are now doubling as de facto discount cards at campus cafeterias. SWC IDs can save students 8 percent on every purchase.
Food service employees on campus are asking students to show their IDs when purchasing food so they are not charged tax.
IRS Regulation 1603 states food sold to students by schools, school district and student organization is exempt from tax, except for carbonated beverages. For years, apparently, no one had been taxed when buying food at Southwestern, including employees who were not eligible for the tax break.
SWC was caught violating regulation 1603 in 2008 when auditors noticed that cashiers were not taxing faculty and staff. Jackie Watts, food service operations supervisor, said SWC might have been fined or back taxed with interest or penalties.
“(Auditors) were monitoring here at the time when it was The Snack Bar, it wasn’t Time Out Café,” said Watts. “They were doing the walk around and one of the things they noticed was that the staff and faculty were not being charged tax.”
When Time Out Café was called The Snack Bar in 2008, signs were posted to have students show their IDs, Watts said, but they were taken down during a paint job and never reposted.
When Watts took over food services this semester, he required cashiers to ask students for school IDs and he put up signs at Tradewinds, Time Out Café and the cafeteria.
Andrea Reyes, 21, a nursing major and barista at Tradewinds, said she is monitored by cameras installed at the beginning of the semester.
“The cameras have to catch you showing your ID,” said Reyes. “(If ID is not shown) we have to charge you tax on the computer.”
Watts, however, said as long as people can prove they are a student at SWC, tax can still be waived.
“They want to make sure (cashiers are) doing their job,” said Watts. “I would just ask everyone to be patient. If they know you, they won’t ask for it. If you have some other form that can prove that you go to school here, we are fine with that as well.”
He said SWC credit cards are also valid identification.
Watts said he does not want to hassle students.
“We’re not the ID police, we’re not going to stalk anyone for their IDs,” he said. “If this happens again with the auditors, I just want to tell them that we are taking our precautions.”
SWC students interviewed for this story said they are on board with this policy.
Isabel Bedolla, radiology major, said she shops at Tradewinds.
“I can get a venti drink and a granola bar for only $6, when I used to buy a venti drink for $5,” she said.
A grande iced tea lemonade at Tradewinds is $2.95 and the same drink at Starbucks is $3.25.
Jairo Hernandez, culinary arts major, said he usually buys lunch once or twice a week on campus.
“If SWC takes taxes off, then yes I will use my ID,” he said. “People come here because they have financial problems, so it’s better for them to buy food here.”
