Sales Tax

[Kauai]

Does it make me cheap if I send my MBA to Oregon to skip sales tax and then have my Grandparents send it too me? 100 bucks in my pocket.

Also no. Places like MacMall aren't an option for me because New York has some unique, very strict law about how businesses have to collect sales tax from online purchases.

Lame.

... Did you guys know that technically we're all required to report online purchases and pay sales and use tax on them every year? (Well, not in a few states -- like Oregon, no sales tax, woo) Considering I'd never known this and don't know a single person who does it, I thought it slightly funny.

 

[foiden]

I had no idea. Mainly because I always paid the sales tax, and like all my local purchases, I never reported them. Then again, it's because I was taxed online the very same way I'm taxed locally.

 

[kilowattradio]

Does it make me cheap if I send my MBA to Oregon to skip sales tax and then have my Grandparents send it too me? 100 bucks in my pocket.

Also no. Places like MacMall aren't an option for me because New York has some unique, very strict law about how businesses have to collect sales tax from online purchases.

Lame.

... Did you guys know that technically we're all required to report online purchases and pay sales and use tax on them every year? (Well, not in a few states -- like Oregon, no sales tax, woo) Considering I'd never known this and don't know a single person who does it, I thought it slightly funny.

You can order a Mac from Apple Dealer Powermax and not be subject to a Sales Tax. Depending on the State you may have to report the purchase.

http://www.powermax.com/

 

[silverblack]

Does it make me cheap if I send my MBA to Oregon to skip sales tax and then have my Grandparents send it too me? 100 bucks in my pocket.

If you are implying you are trying to save yourself $100, and get your grandparents pay your shipping, you ARE cheap and shame on you!

 

[Kauai]

If you are implying you are trying to save yourself $100, and get your grandparents pay your shipping, you ARE cheap and shame on you!

No, no of course not. Sales tax is about 130.

You can order a Mac from Apple Dealer Powermax and not be subject to a Sales Tax. Depending on the State you may have to report the purchase.

http://www.powermax.com/

Hmm. Nice. Since I live in NY most places that usually don't charge sales tax still charge me it, but looks like this place doesn't.

 

[skcrane]

Yeah my friend has ordered from them before and said they were excellent no sales tax and free shipping can't beat it. I just ordered my macbook air 13 ultimate for my wife there as well should get monday she is very excited. No sales tax free shipping and shipped very quickly via ups. I also traded her ipad and macbook unibody for it as well they give really good trade values as well. I would so far very much recommend power max for your new mac.

 

[TPadden]

... Then again, it's because I was taxed online the very same way I'm taxed locally.

No you weren't/ aren't. Online taxes are only collected by merchants that have actual "brick and mortar" stores in the state where you live (or where the item is shipped). Every other merchant DOES NOT collect ANY tax and leaves it up to the individual to report and pay ANY sales tax.

 

[HLdan]

Does it make me cheap if I send my MBA to Oregon to skip sales tax and then have my Grandparents send it too me? 100 bucks in my pocket.

Also no. Places like MacMall aren't an option for me because New York has some unique, very strict law about how businesses have to collect sales tax from online purchases.

Lame.

... Did you guys know that technically we're all required to report online purchases and pay sales and use tax on them every year? (Well, not in a few states -- like Oregon, no sales tax, woo) Considering I'd never known this and don't know a single person who does it, I thought it slightly funny.

Well, you know it now so why post here asking us if you're being cheap? In essence you're breaking the law not doing tax reporting on products you don't pay tax for online.

 

[TPadden]

Well, you know it now so why post here asking us if you're being cheap? In essence you're breaking the law not doing tax reporting on products you don't pay tax for online.

Actually there's a pretty BIG grey area with legal questions unanswered. For instance states can't uniformly decide who ACTUALLY gets the sales taxes; where the goods are delivered or where the sales transaction takes place? Even more complicated, what about when the customer lives in one state, an item is ordered from another state, but physically drop shipped from a third state. All three states would LOVE to collect sales taxes.

 

[KPOM]

No you weren't/ aren't. Online taxes are only collected by merchants that have actual "brick and mortar" stores in the state where you live (or where the item is shipped). Every other merchant DOES NOT collect ANY tax and leaves it up to the individual to report and pay ANY sales tax.

New York is different. They are very aggressive at going after merchants and getting them to collect sales tax. They realize that most people don't self-report use tax transactions, and are far more aggressive than other states at claiming that the online merchants have a physical presence in the state. Colorado is getting that way, too. For instance, these states claim that online agents such as Amazon Affiliates create a "physical presence" in the state, while most other states don't.

 

[snberk103]

Does it make me cheap if I send my MBA to Oregon to skip sales tax and then have my Grandparents send it too me? 100 bucks in my pocket.
...

As long as you're also not one of those people who complains that the roads are in bad shape, that government offices don't open at convenient hours, that schools are underfunded, etc etc

In short, if you think that your state government provides all the services that you would like, then no - you aren't cheap. If, on the other hand, you believe that some of the services your state government provides are insufficient, then no you still aren't cheap.

But there is another word for it. :

 

[TPadden]

New York is different....

Don't think it'd make my list of top 48 states I'd like to live in; might make my list of 49 (thanks to NJ) !

 

[KPOM]

Don't think it'd make my list of top 48 states I'd like to live in; might make my list of 49 (thanks to NJ) !

A top income tax rate of 8.85% (6.85% for most of us) and a NYC income tax of 3.6% don't help, either.

Anyway, it is difficult to avoid paying sales tax here.

 

[Jefe's MacAir]

Unless an online retailer is either located in your state or has a location in your state they are not obligated and in most cases it's illegal to collect sales tax from you.

 

[dukebound85]

Unless an online retailer is either located in your state or has a location in your state they are not obligated and in most cases it's illegal to collect sales tax from you.

However, the buyer is still legally obligated to pay the sales tax when they file their taxes

 

[coochiekuta]

im thinking about changing my billing address to some made up location in a sales tax free state.

i live in new york but i havent actually lived there physically for years. that is to say i keep a residence there but ive only been in my own bed 2 weeks out of this whole year. i wont be back in that bed at least until may. as a result i havent had to pay ny income tax for awhile but time to time i do get taxed on my online purchases because of my ny residence.

 

[foiden]

No you weren't/ aren't. Online taxes are only collected by merchants that have actual "brick and mortar" stores in the state where you live (or where the item is shipped). Every other merchant DOES NOT collect ANY tax and leaves it up to the individual to report and pay ANY sales tax.

Ahh, that makes sense. I guess I was mainly using those with actual brick and mortar stores here. I don't use online shopping much.