Neiman Marcus 2009 Annual Report Download - page 494

loans or gifts to or from government officials, customers, vendors, suppliers or other business contacts;
• give excessive or uncustomary gifts or services to the Company's current or prospective customers, vendors, suppliers, or
business contacts; or
• receive excessive or uncustomary gifts or services from the Company's current or prospective customers, vendors, suppliers,
or business contacts.
SALES TAX
All associates must abide by the rules set forth in the Company's Sales Tax Policy. The Company is legally required to collect sales
tax in all states where it conducts business. State laws vary in tax rates, taxable items, and methods of collection. The Point of Sale
(POS) system has been programmed to collect the proper sales tax in each store. An associate must never offer a customer the option
to ship a purchase in order to avoid paying sales tax. Failure to adhere to these rules will result in disciplinary action up to and
including termination of employment.
FALSE STATEMENTS AND SCHEMES TO DEFRAUD
It is the Company's policy to treat all parties fairly and handle all business transactions with the highest degree of integrity. In support
of this policy, associates shall not:
• make untruthful statements about the Company's products and services;
• willfully conceal material facts from anyone with whom the Company does business or seeks to do business;
• knowingly or recklessly making commitments that the Company cannot fulfill;
• knowingly or recklessly make or cause to be made oral or written false statements to government officials;
• conceal or cause to be concealed material facts called for in a governmental report, application, filing, investigation or
request for information;
• provide false information to any other associate or third party knowing that the information will be (or is likely to be)
provided to the government;
• engage in any scheme to defraud any customer, vendor, supplier or government agency; or
• wrongfully withhold or convert the property of others.
THEFT OR MISUSE OF COMPANY PROPERTY
All Company assets should be used for legitimate business purposes only. Theft, carelessness and waste have a direct impact on the
Company's profitability, and thus, associates are asked to use all assets efficiently and to conserve resources whenever possible. In
support of these objectives, associates are strictly prohibited from the following activities, which include but are not limited to:
• stealing or misusing Company assets;
• misusing associate discount privileges;
• submitting a falsified time sheet or expense report;
• providing any products to any person or entity in violation of any Company policy;
• retaining any uncustomary personal benefit from current or prospective
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