[Zalithian]

Is complete trash. I'm now extremely hesistant to buy online, especially from sites such as Amazon. I recently bought a Sony X, which in the budget I had planned would have been $400 shipped, but thanks to the newly enacted NYS online taxes, it cost me $430 + shipping. I've been looking into buying some new IEMS, and I'm interested in the Klipsch Image X5's but they too will be taxed which means money I could have saved or spent on faster shipping will now be going to NYS. It's completely ridiculous, especially considering the places I would be buying the goods from are not even actually in New York State.

First they come for smokers, then they want to tax people for drinking soda, and now they tax people for buying goods online from out of state. Hey, wonder why people buy out of state instead of in the state? Maybe because we already have one of the highest tax rates in the country as it is.

Complete idiots, I swear to god.

 

[beerguy0]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zalithian /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is complete trash. I'm now extremely hesistant to buy online, especially from sites such as Amazon. I recently bought a Sony X, which in the budget I had planned would have been $400 shipped, but thanks to the newly enacted NYS online taxes, it cost me $430 + shipping. I've been looking into buying some new IEMS, and I'm interested in the Klipsch Image X5's but they too will be taxed which means money I could have saved or spent on faster shipping will now be going to NYS. It's completely ridiculous, especially considering the places I would be buying the goods from are not even actually in New York State. First they come for smokers, then they want to tax people for drinking soda, and now they tax people for buying goods online from out of state. Hey, wonder why people buy out of state instead of in the state? Maybe because we already have one of the highest tax rates in the country as it is. Complete idiots, I swear to god.

Not all online merchants charge NYS sales tax. Amazon does so because of their affiliate program. The state of NY argued that having affiliates in NYS gave Amazon a physical presence, and hence required them to charge sales tax. (Kind of a thin argument in my mind, but the courts bought it.)

Find a merchant other than Amazon. The last thing I bought from Amazon was my Gitzo tripod legs - the day before the NYS sales tax went into effect.

 

[Zalithian]

I tried. I tried Dell, and several other sites that sell the Sony X. I was unable to find one that did not charge me the tax. There was only one place which didn't seem like it would, but it was a brand new shop and I wasn't willing to risk ordering a $400 item from a place with no feedback I could find.

I've also looked around but was unable to find the Klipsch X5's for less than $166 from Electronica Direct, which of course charged me about $15 in taxes. So I had the option of paying 200-250 before shipping from someone outside of NYS, or pay $166 and then get taxed for 15, and $5 for slow shipping. Not really much of a savings there.

It's unfortunate that the state is taking the exact opposite approach to what they should be doing if they want to revitalize the economy. Taxing consumers more heavily and making retailers not want to be in business here is not the right approach, Governor Patterson.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Did you try looking at eBay? You can usually find things there and skip the tax.

 

[revolink24]

Quote:

Originally Posted by beerguy0 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not all online merchants charge NYS sales tax. Amazon does so because of their affiliate program. The state of NY argued that having affiliates in NYS gave Amazon a physical presence, and hence required them to charge sales tax. (Kind of a thin argument in my mind, but the courts bought it.) Find a merchant other than Amazon. The last thing I bought from Amazon was my Gitzo tripod legs - the day before the NYS sales tax went into effect.

That's not their only argument. They say that products shipped to residences in NY need sales tax.

There are lots of retailers, like newegg that are refusing to do so though, even though they did it for like two weeks (Those two weeks right when I ordered my computer components.... ><)

 

[laxx]

Our city is broke. Stop complaining and pay some taxes.

 

[flashnolan]

I thought I heard that they will only charge sales tax if the store you are buying from has a brick-and-morter presence in NYS. Amazon is large enough to have physical building locations all over.

 

[revolink24]

Quote:

Originally Posted by flashnolan /img/forum/go_quote.gif I thought I heard that they will only charge sales tax if the store you are buying from has a brick-and-morter presence in NYS. Amazon is large enough to have physical building locations all over.

It used to be that way until last summer. But it tends to be that way anyway, because most retailers don't go with the new NYS policy.

 

[s_nyc]

In all fairness, it seems to me pretty much normal that people buying from an online shop located anywhere in the US and having good delivered anywhere else in the US pay some sales tax if each and every US state has a sales tax system for brick-and-mortar shops anyway. Otherwise, no brick-and-mortar stores except maybe clothes shops and convenient stores, pharmacies, etc. will survive due to the unfair competition with online retailers. Not even speaking of the tax revenues which the states are missing and which would be welcome these days.

The missing link is that the US should have some form of inter-state clearing system for Sales tax paid on a good delivered in a given state but sent by a retailer located in another state. EU has that for VAT (although VAT is much different than US sales tax in many respects).

 

[tenzip]

Legally, I believe that you are supposed to keep track of all your online purchases, and fill out the proper form and attach a check made out to your state department of revenue at the end of the year.

Of course, not many people are that strictly ethical, and I don't think that the states are going to start hunting people down any time soon.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Get a box at a UPS store in NJ?

 

[zotjen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Get a box at a UPS store in NJ?

You can do this and still have your billing address in NY as the tax is based only on the address to which items are shipped.

 

[Zalithian]

Quote:

Originally Posted by laxx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Our city is broke. Stop complaining and pay some taxes.

Great response. You think maybe our city is broke due to poor money management and their unwillingness to cut programs that are not necessary?

That's not a reason to keep inventing new taxes. The people shouldn't be punished because the government is incompetent. I understand in reality the government is incompetent and will continue to come up with taxes to punish people, but that's not how it should be.

 

[NacMacFeegle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by laxx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Our city is broke. Stop complaining and pay some taxes.

Joke, right???? Gotta be a f'king joke. I'd say more but no politics here. Probably just as well. And OP thanks for the heads-up...I guess I missed that little gem of a tax they slipped in. Plonkers the lot of them.

 

[mark2410]

hmm i really have limited sympathy, people in the us probably pay the least tax in the developed world.

like when they moan about the price of petrol, have a look what everyone else in the world pays