Are there any guitar stores that do not charge sales...

[Parlorman]

I don’t have any problem paying my state’s sales tax. they are one of the ways we pay for amenities and benefits I live here for.

[RoyBoy]

Florida does not have a state income tax. We're stuck trying to run a growing state on sales tax and property tax, not the best scenario IMO. What's that they say about death and taxes?

[geelinus]

Unless your purpose in avoiding sales tax is ideological rather than economic, you will likely be better off - in terms of time, effort, and total cost - by simply taking the best deal you find on the guitar you want.

[Mattface]

Since the Wayfair decision, each state makes their own rules on how to collect taxes on web and mail order sales. Most of them have a "NEXUS" where businesses don't have to collect sales tax if their annual sales in a state are less than a specified dollar amount. That amount varies by state, but for your purposes you only care about CA.

So here's the thing, even if someone says: Yes this dealer doesn't charge sales tax for CA, then 4 of us go out and buy guitars from that dealer and push them over NEXUS, now that dealer has to start charging sales tax in CA. So even if it's true today, it might not be true next month.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by MikeBmusic

If you buy something from out-of-state and don't pay sales tax at the time of purchase, you are supposed to report in your annual state income tax filing.

Most states require filing taxes and several enforce the policy.

One of my friends bought a fairly expensive camera on line and didn't pay the tax. He got a letter from the state (Illinois) three years after the purchase and had to pay the tax, interest on the tax, AND a rather healthy fine for not paying in the first place. They explained that it is the consumer's responsibility to make sure tax obligations are satisfied on out of state purchases.

[mawmow]

I live in Canada and sold some of my used guitar instructional DVDs
to U.S. citizens last fall : eBay now applies taxes in thirty of the states.
Geee ! These are used personal belongings !

Now, I am also used to import from U.S.A. : I always paid taxes to Quebec & Canada (a total of some 15%).
Now, I do not know how this happened (a Canada-eBay deal ?), but in the
recent years, eBay would charge 7% taxes when my items are imported
through their shipping system, not the mere 15% I was used to.

Take it as you will folks, governments did adjust to e-commerce !

[gibpicker]

I ordered my $800.00 otd guitar from Sweetwater who strapped on the Ca. tax and am done with it. Too much trouble the other way. Without getting into the politics of it all, Ca. is loosing it's residents at an alarming rate.

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by LakewoodM32Fan

I do wonder if those who live on the Oregon Washington border ever get busted. There’s that scenario where one doesn’t charge income tax and the other doesn’t charge sales tax so you live and work in the no income tax place and do all your shopping in the no sales tax state

Oregon residents are exempt from paying sales tax in Washington, and Washington residents often shop in Oregon to avoid sales tax. With motor vehicles, however, Washingtonians still have to pay the sales or use taxes on automobiles purchased in Oregon, while Oregon residents are exempt from paying those taxes on automobiles purchased in Washington.

Although the laws and rulings seem to still be a bit murky, based on this article from 2019 it appears that sellers in states that do not have sales tax are still required to collect and remit tax when shipping products to states that do.

https://www.marketplace.org/2019/09/...line-shopping/

[3fingers]

My first thought when I saw this thread was - does the person asking this question work for the CA dept of revenue?

[gibpicker]

A funny thing while visiting Coos bay, OR from So CAL (about 10 years ago) we noticed that even with no sales tax the Walmart prices were about the same in Coos Bay as in Ca. with tax. The people that worked at WM were MUCH nicer in OR though!

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by gibpicker

The people...were MUCH nicer in OR though!

Yes. Yes we are!

Seriously, I noticed the same thing when I moved from Northern California to Oregon about twenty-five years ago.

[blindboyjimi]

Most small shops out of state will not charge tax. In state, there are shops like San Diego Guitar & Bass that will sell with a discount and no tax (that is, they pay the tax). I’ve had great deals with them.

[tippy5]

Just keep putting them in your cart and see if they assign taxes at the last step.

I agree. This last year I only bought 3 guitars because of the extra 9.75% CA tax.

But I have bought a dozen accessories looking for a few that don't tax by the last button push.

Helped with my GAS. And yes Governor Follow the Science has obliterated some small retail for the sake of large corporate retail.

[UncleJesse]

Yet another bonus for buying used in a person to person transaction.

[AZLiberty]

Originally Posted by personatech

Your question suggests that you're looking for a way to not to have to pay that tax. There is no such legal way. .

Well, he could drive up to Oregon. That way the transaction is entirely in the state of Oregon, and since OR has no sales tax, there would be no tax on the transaction.