apple store with lowest sales tax

CenkTR wrote:

Hi,

I wanna which apple store around US has the lowest sales tax or 0% sales tax?

As far as i've read, Delaware has it.

In order to take advantage of the lack of sales tax, you have to make the purchase in person in the store.

And tax rates differ in the same state, depending on the addition of county and municipal tax rates. In Illinois you could purchase the same item in Chicago and the collar counties, and then further outside what are termed as the collar counties and pay 3 different tax rates.

Meg St._Clair wrote:

CenkTR wrote:

Hi,

I wanna which apple store around US has the lowest sales tax or 0% sales tax?

As far as i've read, Delaware has it.

In order to take advantage of the lack of sales tax, you have to make the purchase in person in the store.

Even then, you violate the law as soon as you return to your home state. You'll notice that it's not a "sales" tax but, rather, a "sales & use" tax. All states crack down on this with cars and some states (such as NJ) crack down with large purchases.

Philly_Phan wrote:

Meg St._Clair wrote:

CenkTR wrote:

Hi,

I wanna which apple store around US has the lowest sales tax or 0% sales tax?

As far as i've read, Delaware has it.

In order to take advantage of the lack of sales tax, you have to make the purchase in person in the store.

Even then, you violate the law as soon as you return to your home state. You'll notice that it's not a "sales" tax but, rather, a "sales & use" tax. All states crack down on this with cars and some states (such as NJ) crack down with large purchases.

I thought that was the case but wasn't sure enough to state so.

I have relatives who live on the PA side of the PA/Delaware border. I don't even what to think about how many laws the violate buying their liquor..... Apparently the cops even hang out near the liquor stores near the border, looking for PA plates.

While sales tax in the US is not generally always a "use" tax as well, that differs when it comes to alcohol and cigarette taxes. While personal use is not that big of an issue, the purchase of large quantities of either of them is usually viewed as "bootlegging" and possession with the intent to sell. Resale of items like cigarettes and alcohol with another state's tax stamp is a crime. Before I retired, the cigarette manufacturers provided training seminars on how to recognize these schemes, as well as identifying shipments that had been hijacked and then sold on the black market. Quite a side business.

ChrisJ4203 wrote:

While sales tax in the US is not generally always a "use" tax as well...

I'm not aware of a single "sales tax state" where the tax is not also a "use" tax. That's the mechanism by which they prevent a resident from purchasing a car out of state and registering it in state without paying the tax.

ChrisJ4203 wrote:

Resale of items like cigarettes and alcohol with another state's tax stamp is a crime.

I haven't paid much attention but I don't remember seeing the tax stamps for many years.

Meg St._Clair wrote:

And then you get the whole Indian Reservation thing thrown in there is some states......

(post should be a reply to Chris but Jive is being problematic again).

That gets back to the "sales and use" consideration. When you bring your product off the reservation (technically sovereign territory) and actually into your state, you owe the tax on it.

While I am aware of the states that require the payment of sales tax in your home state for vehicle purchases. However, if I purchase an item in Best Buy in your state, I'm not required to report that and pay and use tax for that item in my state. I'm not a tax expert, so I will leave it at that. I cannot really provide more input than that. I'm sorry if the information I provided was not correct.

I don't smoke, so I don't look at the cigarette packs, but was just putting it out there, as that is how those items are identified as designated for particular states. That I am aware of and know that is fact.

ChrisJ4203 wrote:

However, if I purchase an item in Best Buy in your state, I'm not required to report that and pay and use tax for that item in my state.

Actually you are but it's not worth the trouble enforcing the law with small items. Same thing with www purchases. My state (NJ) income tax form has a line item for indicating the value of such purchases (out of state and www). Of course, no one pays any attention to it.

ChrisJ4203 wrote:

I don't smoke, so I don't look at the cigarette packs, but was just putting it out there, as that is how those items are identified as designated for particular states. That I am aware of and know that is fact.

I agree completely. I was merely indicating that enforcement is now more difficult. My WAG is that possession of huge quantities is now the determining factor.

And then you can also get into veterans, retirees, and military personnel making certain purchases on base. This is one reason there is a restriction on the purchase of cigarettes and alcohol. It used to be much higher and people were buying for family and friends, but to curb that and make sure that additional taxes were paid, they cut the number of cartons members could purchase very low.

The whole thing about internet purchases is going to continue to be an issue. Currently taxes are only collected from internet retailers that have brick and mortar stores in the state the buyer is located in. They are trying to force taxes be collected everywhere, and then there is the internet retailer that does not have any brick and mortar stores. How are they going to determine taxes there? Currently they do not have to charge sales tax, and states of course, feel they are being cheated out of that revenue.

Not in Oregon -- no state sales tax, no county sales taxes, no municipal sales taxes. And no travel expenses -- for me as I live there (normally but not there right now)!

Oregon state income taxes, on the other hand ...

Why don't you call them and ask?

Oregon has no sales tax. Here is a link to information regarding others: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/states-with-no-sales-taxes-1.aspx

I would imagine the money saved on sales tax would be eaten up rather quickly in travel expenses... 😝