WA FFL charging tax on out of state purchases?

[pianoman9701]

Wonder why tax is charged on just out of state guns    and not other stuff?   

You're supposed to pay tax to WA on anything WA would tax which was bought out of state and brought back in. Tobacco, alcohol, clothing, guns and ammo, anything.

[Bob33]

Wonder why tax is charged on just out of state guns    and not other stuff?   

You're supposed to pay tax to WA on anything WA would tax which was bought out of state and brought back in. Tobacco, alcohol, clothing, guns and ammo, anything.

That is correct. "Use tax" is in lieu of sales tax: you are expected to pay one or the other.

http://dor.wa.gov/content/findtaxesandrates/usetax/

"Use tax is a tax on the use of goods or certain services in Washington when sales tax has not been paid. Goods used in this state are subject to either sales or use tax, but not both. "

[JimmyHoffa]

Are the only exceptions military exchanges and tribal shops?

[pianoman9701]

Active duty military can purchase on post without paying taxes to WA. Not paying taxes on anything bought on a reservation if you're not Native American is illegal unless it's consumed while you're on the reservation.

[wraithen]

I was referring to an online purchase. For example I bought a rifle from budsgunshop and had it delivered to the NAC for only a 30 dollar fee. I would never purchase a firearm through aafes, they'll rip you off and laugh about it.

[pianoman9701]

I was referring to an online purchase. For example I bought a rifle from budsgunshop and had it delivered to the NAC for only a 30 dollar fee. I would never purchase a firearm through aafes, they'll rip you off and laugh about it.

Anything you purchase that you would normally pay taxes on in WA, you owe taxes on. Active duty military are exempt from PX or BX purchases. Otherwise, you've got to pay tax. Online, over the counter, dropped by cargo jet from 10K feet - you owe the tax to the witch in Olympia.

[wraithen]

Sucks to be her. She's gonna have to find my IP addresses, break through a few proxy servers, and then prove it cuz I ain't telling her nuthin and she can't audit my FFL   

[pianoman9701]

Sucks to be her. She's gonna have to find my IP addresses, break through a few proxy servers, and then prove it cuz I ain't telling her nuthin and she can't audit my FFL   

Actually, they can obtain the records from UPS, FedEx, USPS, or the seller. Most companies will cooperate with a state authority when it comes to interstate commerce.

[wraithen]

I'm actually pretty sure that since the ffl was on post they don't charge the tax just like aafes wouldn't have to. They used it as a selling point to get me to go through them and they aren't secretive about it. They do charge more than most ffl's (by 5 bucks) but in this case it's a much better deal than what aafes does to our service members.

[Stilly bay]

I was referring to an online purchase. For example I bought a rifle from budsgunshop and had it delivered to the NAC for only a 30 dollar fee. I would never purchase a firearm through aafes, they'll rip you off and laugh about it.

Anything you purchase that you would normally pay taxes on in WA, you owe taxes on. Active duty military are exempt from PX or BX purchases. Otherwise, you've got to pay tax. Online, over the counter, dropped by cargo jet from 10K feet - you owe the tax to the witch in Olympia.

unless I am horribly mistaken - yet again- I have not paid taxes on products purchased online from out of state. unless its from cabelas or barnes and noble or any other company that also resides in Wa, in these cases it shows the taxes I will be paying when I check out and pay online.

are you saying that Wa wants me to use the honor system and pay tax on these products on my own accord even if no taxes were asked for during the transaction, and this can be used in an audit? not just guns, booze or anything else fun?

[whacker1]

I was referring to an online purchase. For example I bought a rifle from budsgunshop and had it delivered to the NAC for only a 30 dollar fee. I would never purchase a firearm through aafes, they'll rip you off and laugh about it.

Anything you purchase that you would normally pay taxes on in WA, you owe taxes on. Active duty military are exempt from PX or BX purchases. Otherwise, you've got to pay tax. Online, over the counter, dropped by cargo jet from 10K feet - you owe the tax to the witch in Olympia.

unless I am horribly mistaken - yet again- I have not paid taxes on products purchased online from out of state. unless its from cabelas or barnes and noble or any other company that also resides in Wa, in these cases it shows the taxes I will be paying when I check out and pay online.

are you saying that Wa wants me to use the honor system and pay tax on these products on my own accord even if no taxes were asked for during the transaction, and this can be used in an audit? not just guns, booze or anything else fun?

No, you are not horribly mistaken.

The old rule / law for  retailers using online sales - Cabelas for example did not charge sales tax for WA purchases until they built the Washington location - Lacey.  This is how the old WA law was applied.  In the last several years the legislature and department of revenue tightened the law and enforcement, so that it applied to any online retailer if the shipping address were Washington.  This is why I still order my large orders through Cabelas and have them shipped to the store in Post Falls.  I drive across the border from Spokane to Post falls, and I only pay Idaho Sales Tax at 4.5% vs 8.7 %.  smaller orders are obvisouly eaten up by fuel.  This obviously won't do you any good on your ffl transfers either.

[pianoman9701]

I was referring to an online purchase. For example I bought a rifle from budsgunshop and had it delivered to the NAC for only a 30 dollar fee. I would never purchase a firearm through aafes, they'll rip you off and laugh about it.

Anything you purchase that you would normally pay taxes on in WA, you owe taxes on. Active duty military are exempt from PX or BX purchases. Otherwise, you've got to pay tax. Online, over the counter, dropped by cargo jet from 10K feet - you owe the tax to the witch in Olympia.

unless I am horribly mistaken - yet again- I have not paid taxes on products purchased online from out of state. unless its from cabelas or barnes and noble or any other company that also resides in Wa, in these cases it shows the taxes I will be paying when I check out and pay online.

are you saying that Wa wants me to use the honor system and pay tax on these products on my own accord even if no taxes were asked for during the transaction, and this can be used in an audit? not just guns, booze or anything else fun?

Anything you'd have paid taxes on if purchased in WA. And not just the honor system, which would suggest choice. It's the law. You must or you're liable for interest and penalties. Do most people pay attention? No. Should they? According to the state, yes. I will neither admit or deny purchasing items from outside WA without paying my taxes on them.

[Bob33]

"And not just the honor system, which would suggest choice. It's the law."

Yes, but I think the question is how would the state know?  In many instances of out-of-state purchases they would not know, which suggests the "honor system".

If you were to drive to Oregon (or Montana), go into a Costco/REI/Sportsmans Warehouse/etc. and make a sales-tax free purchase, and drive home with it, the state would not know about it in the vast majority of instances.  That does not make it legal. Washington has had a sales tax/use tax system for many years.  Most anything you buy, or use, is taxable by law.

[whacker1]

"And not just the honor system, which would suggest choice. It's the law."

Yes, but I think the question is how would the state know?  In many instances of out-of-state purchases they would not know, which suggests the "honor system".

If you were to drive to Oregon (or Montana), go into a Costco/REI/Sportsmans Warehouse/etc. and make a sales-tax free purchase, and drive home with it, the state would not know about it in the vast majority of instances.  That does not make it legal. Washington has had a sales tax/use tax system for many years.  Most anything you buy, or use, is taxable by law.

I agree with Bob, but would add that the new law put more requirements on the retailer than prior in place of the honor system on the end user for a "use tax".  And an unenforced law (like this) results in practical honor system.  This has been proven in case law, which is why the legislature tightened the law.

[Bob33]

The government has rarely encounted an opportunity to tax that they did not like, or pursue aggressively.