Justifying a Big Purchase

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by BobC

Sales/use tax doesn't matter on where an item comes from, it is all based on where it is going to.

Thanks, Bob, Now I feel stupid because as someone who had to pay different tax rates depending on the city I was selling in I should have known that.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by bnorth

Thanks, Bob, Now I feel stupid because as someone who had to pay different tax rates depending on the city I was selling in I should have known that.

Yeah Ben, and great point about even different cities. The sales/use tax laws vary by state. Five have none, the remaining 45 do, and then among the 45 that do some also have additional county/local sales taxes that get added on top. In Ohio where I'm at the sales tax rates vary by county. The state itself has a flat 5.75% sales tax rate across the entire state, and then the local/county authorities tack on what they can. Cuyahoga County, which encompasses Cleveland, has the highest combined rate in the state at 8.0%. If you live in a state like that, if possible, you could try to set up a P.O. Box or other address you get you mail delivered to in say the next county over that has a lower sales tax rate. Would definitely work if buying off Ebay as they charge sales tax based on the mailing address. But doing so would technically not be legit, and also the amount of savings would be nominal, at best, and likely eaten up by the cost of renting the P.O. or other mailbox, along with the gas and other related costs and additional time spent from having to drive a ways to pick up your mail. Probably more trouble than it is worth doing. Now if you have a close relative or really good friend that lived in that next county over....................