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Anyway to avoid paying sales tax for iPhone 4?

V

VelfarreClubber

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 26, 2008
58
1
Fullerton, CA
I'm going to buy the 32gb and don't like to pay the unsubsidized tax of $68.15 (in orange county) Bringing the total cost of the new iPhone 4 to $367.15

First and foremost I think that is just bs that some of us have to pay that much sales tax for a subsidized phone. Is there an out of CA state retailer that sells the iphone?

I know I will have to pay taxes either way with:
Apple Store
AT&T
Radioshack
Best Buy
Wal Mart

or with any of those retailers above can I pay tax on the subsidized price?
 
Yea, go to Nevada ( Las Vegas ) to avoid paying tax on the full retail price that hits CA, MA and RI. See at least two other states are using the same BS.

Any retailer in California will have to charge you the tax. :(

Dave
 
dave006 said:
Yea, go to Nevada ( Las Vegas ) to avoid paying tax on the full retail price that hits CA, MA and RI. See at least two other states are using the same BS.

Any retailer in California will have to charge you the tax. :(

Dave
Click to expand...

lol @ paying $200 in gas to save $40 in tax... :)

not to mention you might not want to go home so another $1000-$10,000 blown on strippers and booze.
 
I dont think so. If you live in a state that has a sales Tax you have to pay that tax. Yeah it sucks. Write to your congress and tell them you dont need a sales tax.

This is why I love Oregon.
 
Yeah I hate it too, I had to pay like 60 something in tax when I got my 16GB 3GS at the Apple store in Pasadena last year. I could have used that money for some accessories =[. I don't see it changing anytime soon unless the law changes.
 
Yeah, $70 in tax sucks.

Also, nice to see another Fullerton resident on these boards.
 
dave006 said:
Yea, go to Nevada ( Las Vegas ) to avoid paying tax on the full retail price that hits CA, MA and RI. See at least two other states are using the same BS.

Any retailer in California will have to charge you the tax. :(

Dave
Click to expand...

Sounds like a great excuse for a Vegas road trip :D The 68 bucks is enough gas to take me there and back haha. Well its not so bad I get taxed $29 in Vegas... Who knows I'll probably be testing out the new 720p recording inside the clubs and around the casino :p
 
VelfarreClubber said:
Sounds like a great excuse for a Vegas road trip :D The 68 bucks is enough gas to take me there and back haha. Well its not so bad I get taxed $29 in Vegas... Who knows I'll probably be testing out the new 720p recording inside the clubs and around the casino :p
Click to expand...

I wanna party with this guy! :cool:
 
Are you sure you know what you're doing? I'm serious. I just calculated my tax on a $300 phone and it would be $18 at 6 percent. The always-trustable source that is Wikipedia said something about California having the highest tax rate at about 10 percent in some localities. What you're talking about is more like 23 percent on a $300 phone. How are you getting taxed $70?

I know California has bad budget issues, but I can't forsee a 23 percent straight-up sales tax. Are you sure the $18 upgrade fee -- the awesomest fee ever -- isn't part of that?
 
No, the issue is that in the states of CA, MA and RI, they require you to pay tax based on the full retail price of the "subsidized phone" not the $299.99 subsidized price. That's what the OP was reporting, this issue comes up every year for those 3 states. :(

That means that the tax is based on a iPhone 4 32 GB at $699.99

Dave
 
XciteMe said:
6 ****ing percent?! NEWS FLASH: Southern California has a tax rate of 9.75%.

6% would be welcomed with open arms.

Almost 10% is murder IMHO.
Click to expand...

Ha!

It's 17.5% here and bound to go up soon.

In Scandanavia it's about 25%
 
dave006 said:
No, the issue is that in the states of CA, MA and RI, they require you to pay tax based on the full retail price of the "subsidized phone" not the $299.99 subsidized price. That's what the OP was reporting, this issue comes up every year for those 3 states. :(

That means that the tax is based on a iPhone 4 32 GB at $699.99

Dave
Click to expand...

It totally sucks. It might be worth my while to arrange to pick up my phone in NY while visiting family. I can always rearrange my schedule to be there on the 24th.
 
Loves2spoon said:
lol @ paying $200 in gas to save $40 in tax... :)

not to mention you might not want to go home so another $10,000-$100,000 blown on strippers and booze.
Click to expand...

there I fixed it for ya!

You know, now that I think about it...it makes sense now...I didn't know the tax was on un-subsidized price. No wonder $41 for tax (was 8.25 at the time) was steep on a $299 phone.

yikes, and now sales tax is more than that....
 
ChrisGonzales90 said:
I dont think so. If you live in a state that has a sales Tax you have to pay that tax. Yeah it sucks. Write to your congress and tell them you dont need a sales tax.

This is why I love Oregon.
Click to expand...

How does writing your congressional representatives help with a state matter:confused: :D You need to write your state representative and governor.;)
 
Anyone know what the current sales tax for California is? I paid 55 in tax for the 16gb 3GS last year at 9.25%. I just want a good estimate on how much tax I'll be paying for the 16gb Iphone 4 this year.
 
VelfarreClubber said:
Sounds like a great excuse for a Vegas road trip :D The 68 bucks is enough gas to take me there and back haha. Well its not so bad I get taxed $29 in Vegas... Who knows I'll probably be testing out the new 720p recording inside the clubs and around the casino :p
Click to expand...

You could get other OC residents in on this deal (iPhone upgraders avoiding CA tax ripoff) and all car pool. Split gas 4 ways and you break the cost down even more. I don't think your idea is half bad. :)
 
Bakakage said:
Anyone know what the current sales tax for California is? I paid 55 in tax for the 16gb 3GS last year at 9.25%. I just want a good estimate on how much tax I'll be paying for the 16gb Iphone 4 this year.
Click to expand...

i believe its different in every city or county or something like that

i know in san jose, it is 9.25%

i wish was in oregon during the release
 
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