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CA sales tax!

N

ncook06

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 11, 2006
184
0
Tampa, FL
I was all psyched up about the fact that after I get paid on Thursday, I can afford my MBP. Then I realized that California charges sales tax of 7.5%. That's an extra $150! :mad: I live in Florida, and it's 7% here, but I know that some companies, when billing to an out-of-state address, don't have to charge sales tax. (That was awful grammar.)

What's the deal? Is there a way I can avoid paying this? I'm so let down :(
 
ncook06 said:
I was all psyched up about the fact that after I get paid on Thursday, I can afford my MBP. Then I realized that California charges sales tax of 7.5%. That's an extra $150! :mad: I live in Florida, and it's 7% here, but I know that some companies, when billing to an out-of-state address, don't have to charge sales tax. (That was awful grammar.)

What's the deal? Is there a way I can avoid paying this? I'm so let down :(
Click to expand...


it all depends. Techically you are supposed to send in the money to your stated if you buy from someplace out of state. At least I think so. States are changing their laws right now to collect sells tax when stuff is boughten out of state.

if they have a office in your state they are required by law to charge you sells tax. If there is a apple store in there state they need to charge you sales tax.

Sales tax is supposed to apply to when ever something is sold in that state.
 
ncook06 said:
I was all psyched up about the fact that after I get paid on Thursday, I can afford my MBP. Then I realized that California charges sales tax of 7.5%. That's an extra $150! :mad: I live in Florida, and it's 7% here, but I know that some companies, when billing to an out-of-state address, don't have to charge sales tax. (That was awful grammar.)

What's the deal? Is there a way I can avoid paying this? I'm so let down :(
Click to expand...

No offense, but you could afford $2500-$3000 and not an extra $150?
 
Stridder44 said:
No offense, but you could afford $2500-$3000 and not an extra $150?
Click to expand...

Well, I'm actually a high school senior now, and have a student discount waiting. With that, my MBP is $1979 (only upgrade is 7200 RPM HD). I'm also getting an extra gb of ram. If I have to spend the extra $150, I'd rather buy Logic Express, or something I will actually use.
 
Have you considered buying from Amazon.com? I think they only charge sales tax in a few states. Something like WA, NV, and either SD or ND... I know the last time I ordered from them I was not charged sales tax....

Timepass is right. Most states want you to pay the sales tax for your online purchases. I know on my Arkansas tax return last year, there was a form in the packet to fill out with your online purchases in order to pay the sales tax that you "owed."
 
I should have mentioned that I still need the student discount, as it takes $220 off my order. So it has to be a way to order from Apple.
 
Amazon has $150 off, plus you can get their A9 discount which is about $30 right now on the MacBook Pro 1.83. Only thing you can't get is the 7200rpm drive.

Another option is to drive up to Delaware :D
 
netb0y said:
Another option is to drive up to Delaware :D
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Well, I'll be in North Carolina in 2 weeks, but I'll see if I can convince my mom to let me take the family an extra 8 hours North ;)
 
ncook06 said:
Well, I'll be in North Carolina in 2 weeks, but I'll see if I can convince my mom to let me take the family an extra 8 hours North ;)
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I live in NJ and go down to VA all the time so I plan on stopping at the Christiana Mall on the way to pick up a MacBook Pro if Amazon doesn't ship my order out soon.
 
ncook06 said:
Then I realized that California charges sales tax of 7.5%.
Click to expand...
Around my parts... the CA sales tax is 8.25%... your quoted percentage is preferable. :p
 
devilot said:
Around my parts... the CA sales tax is 8.25%... your quoted percentage is preferable. :p
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Most places ive been in CA its been 7.75% or above, not sure where it is that low. I certainly would take it over my 8.25% :D

It could be worse, we could be in England or Canada.. what is it there 14% +?

Unless you reside in the state that you are ordering from or they have a physical presence in your state you shouldnt pay any tax, thats how amazon gets away with keeping many a Californian tax free.

Ed
 
Ed H said:
Most places ive been in CA its been 7.75% or above, not sure where it is that low. I certainly would take it over my 8.25% :D

It could be worse, we could be in England or Canada.. what is it there 14% +?


Ed
Click to expand...

Pah! Try 19% here in Holland! :eek: :eek:
 
These taxes are what give comfortable countries to live in, with services, benefits, and everything. :)
 
Ed H said:
Most places ive been in CA its been 7.75% or above, not sure where it is that low. I certainly would take it over my 8.25% :D
Click to expand...

It's still 7.25% in Ventura County -- lowest allowable rate in California. Many other counties still collect the 7.25% base rate, but most of them are rural.
 
you live in florida? why would you worry about CA sales tax? typically Apple is going to charge you the tax where you live......and not CA tax
 
Macky-Mac is correct. Apple charges sales tax based on where YOU are, not California. (For example, I live in no-sales-tax Oregon, and I didn't pay any sales tax; and my grandmother in Arizona pays Arizona sales tax through Apple's website.)

A quick test using four different address in four different states produces four different sales tax amounts. You're fine. Just use your own Florida address, and you'll be charged Florida tax, not California.
 
7.75% in Orange County.

Don't want to go back to the Bay Area and pay that extra 0.5% again.
But I like it more in Northern California than in Southern California.

What the above posters said is true. You pay your state tax.
 
I buy higher priced computer equipment/software via web merchants who do not have an office in my state (so that I don't have to pay sales tax). Most of the merchants will give the free shipping option as long as you hit the min. order. I could not stand those sales tax and internet sales is the legal way to get away from money grabbers.
 
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