Purchases: Amazon Vs Apple (both online and retail)

[sinstoic]

If you buy from Amazon and thereby save on taxes (and don't pay the same to IRS on your own either), you may end up in trouble at Airport Customs. My friend was questioned as to why tax has not been paid and his laptop was confisticated.

I travel a lot and many a times I have been asked for the invoice of my laptop that I am carrying. With my friend's incident I feel it is safer to avoid Amazon and buy from Apple Online/Retail store (who will tax you) instead.

Anybody with similar incidents?

 

[MovieCutter]

If you buy from Amazon and thereby save on taxes (and don't pay the same to IRS on your own either), you may end up in trouble at Airport Customs. My friend was questioned as to why tax has not been paid and his laptop was confisticated.

I travel a lot and many a times I have been asked for the invoice of my laptop that I am carrying. With my friend's incident I feel it is safer to avoid Amazon and buy from Apple Online/Retail store (who will tax you) instead.

Anybody with similar incidents?

That's assuming you live OUTSIDE the U.S. and you buy the laptop INSIDE the U.S. and tried to leave the country with it right away. There's no way anyone else would know you haven't paid tax on a laptop otherwise.

 

[ChrisA]

What is it in California? Should you pay taxes for stuff bought on Amazon?

In California you are given the opportunity to pay sales tax on out of state purchase when you file your income tax. There is a place on the tax form to declare these. My guess is that maybe one in a thousand people actually pay the tax. My opinion is that the transaction occurred outside of California.