Sales Tax Differences

HappyCamper1962 · 10-26-2018, 08:29 AM

One thing we noticed on our last trip - it included traveling in and staying in multiple states - was the huge differences in Sales Tax and other fees tacked on to things you buy. It could really make the difference if traveling on a very tight budget and maybe not something you think about before leaving....Sign me happy to live in Florida....(7% in my county) by far the lowest sales tax of everywhere we traveled this last trip.

Asrabbit · 10-26-2018, 08:51 AM

I was thinking if you are not a resident of a state you do not have to pay the sales tax. It seems to work that way in New York city believe it or not. It is a hassle when you buy something at try to get the clerk to take off the sales tax because you are not a resident, but from what I know it should work that way. I have been wrong before.

JohnD10 · 10-26-2018, 08:51 AM

If this is a big worry then you might as well stay where you are at.

Trying to plan a camping trip around sales tax rates would be like trying to find a needle on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

Sales tax rates are not always just the state sales tax rate, but also local counties, cities and municipalities can and will add their own rates on top of the state sales tax rates in many states!

If you book your campsites ahead of time you should be able to figure that out, but gas, food, fun activities, emergencies...

Might be easier to just plan an extra couple of hundred bucks into the trip budget and just relax and have fun!

JohnD10 · 10-26-2018, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asrabbit

I was thinking if you are not a resident of a state you do not have to pay the sales tax. It seems to work that way in New York city believe it or not. It is a hassle when you buy something at try to get the clerk to take off the sales tax because you are not a resident, but from what I know it should work that way. I have been wrong before.

Must be only in New York!

HappyCamper1962 · 10-26-2018, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnD10

Must be only in New York!

x2!! I've never heard of that. Do residents have to show their ID every time they make a purchase??

HappyCamper1962 · 10-26-2018, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnD10

If this is a big worry then you might as well stay where you are at.

LOL totally agree. Just an observation this last trip

. We go out of our way to buy local, includiing when we travel. Supporting small local companies and communities is important to us. Seeing the striking sales tax difference made us thankful for ours, thinking how hard it must be for the folks who live there to make ends meet since I don't know anywhere that jacks up the worker salaries enough to offset the cost of living for the middle class. But that's a whole new thread

.

Ejs4029 · 10-26-2018, 09:07 AM

Here is a map to give you an idea of the Sales Tax rates. Please see additional Note

B and B · 10-26-2018, 09:09 AM

We spent 77 nights away camping this past summer. All in Ontario Canada 95% at provincial parks and one music festival. The 13 % HST stings but to add US exchange on the trips would be a killer. Add 35% on top of everything and in Indiana for example food costs are the same as home add 35% on top. Only thing cheaper is beer and booze. We plan our trips for fun and experience and sometimes they cost a little more.

Finster · 10-26-2018, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ejs4029

Here is a map to give you an idea of the Sales Tax rates. Please see additional Note

That must be a state average across all counties. Iowa's sales tax is 6%, but a lot of counties have a local option sales tax referendum that we vote on every so often that another 1% extra sales tax that goes to the school district of that county. Not every county has it, but most do. Im sure other states are similar.

doc73 · 10-26-2018, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finster

That must be a state average across all counties. Iowa's sales tax is 6%, but a lot of counties have a local option sales tax referendum that we vote on every so often that another 1% extra sales tax that goes to the school district of that county. Not every county has it, but most do. Im sure other states are similar.

Yes PA is also only 6%. But places like Philly have a 8% tax so my guess is an average.

whj77372 · 10-26-2018, 04:35 PM

Additionally, states like Texas charge 6.25% statewide on autos, trucks and RV. It is 8.25% on other things. We don't have state income tax.

DieselDrax · 10-26-2018, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asrabbit

I was thinking if you are not a resident of a state you do not have to pay the sales tax. It seems to work that way in New York city believe it or not. It is a hassle when you buy something at try to get the clerk to take off the sales tax because you are not a resident, but from what I know it should work that way. I have been wrong before.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnD10

Must be only in New York!

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappyCamper1962

x2!! I've never heard of that. Do residents have to show their ID every time they make a purchase??

Seems Asrabbit (and the clerks he snowed over) is incorrect.

https://nystax.custhelp.com/app/answ...e-and-purchase

Quote:

If I am not a resident of New York and I come into the state and purchase items, am I entitled to a refund of the state or local sales tax I paid at the time of purchase when I take the items back out of the state with me?

No. The sales tax is a "destination tax." If the vendor delivers possession of the item to the purchaser in this state, then New York State and local sales taxes are due at the time of purchase and the vendor must collect tax from you. If the purchaser takes delivery of the property in this state and then leaves the state with the property, the sales tax you were required to pay is not refundable.

JohnD10 · 10-26-2018, 06:25 PM

That USA map is showing what the state sales tax is...

What the fine print is telling us is that each and every city, township and county can add on to those rates.

In other words...even if the state sales tax is 8%, you could be paying up to 15% or more sales tax total, depending on what town and what county, and perhaps even what city transit zone (ie.- city bus and light rail zone) you might happen to be in.

Where I lived in north Denver up until earlier this year, the state and city sales tax total was 8.8%.

But where I worked in the furthest south Denver Metro city (Lone Tree, CO), the sales tax was 6.81 between state and city.

However, since my place of employment (an electronics retail store - not Best Buy hehe) was directly across the street from the Park Meadows Mall, the sales tax in that area was lower than most places as it had been grandfathered lower to attract that mall to the area.

HappyCamper1962 · 10-27-2018, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ejs4029

Here is a map to give you an idea of the Sales Tax rates. Please see additional Note

Right!? Those "add-ons" are what brings the percentages so so so much higher, at least where we were. Ain't it always in the small print!

AudiDudi · 10-27-2018, 06:56 AM

Being a Montana resident (no sales tax), when I go to Washington State, I can sign a form to be tax exempt - at Sam's Club, they automatically give me the form. Relatives occasionally ask us to make big ticket purchases, like new laptops, for them when we are there.

tomkatb · 10-27-2018, 07:29 AM

When I purchased a boat in Kentucky years ago I was charged the local sales tax.

The following week I took care of registration in Missouri.

Before I got the state registration they made me pay the difference in sales tax!

I suspect if I had paid more, they would not have refunded me the difference.

And then there is the local hotel special taxes of over 10%. Can’t remember what they called them on the bills. I have seen more than 12%

JohnD10 · 10-27-2018, 07:42 AM

In most states (if not all)...if you are in that state and buying something you pay that state's sales taxes, regardless of where you live.

In other words...if I live in Arizona (which I do), but I buy a camper in California, I would be required to pay the California sales tax on that camper.

Of course, registration is a totally different matter...

CNYCamper · 10-27-2018, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnD10

That USA map is showing what the state sales tax is...

What the fine print is telling us is that each and every city, township and county can add on to those rates.

.

That map is showing a 8.45% rate for New York State. For most of geographic New York the rate is 8.00% (4.00% for the state and 4.00% for the local county). Cities like Rochester, Syracuse and Albany have no city tax so the total rate is 8.00% as well. Total in Buffalo is 8.750% and in New York City the total rate is 8.875%.

**wmtire** · 10-27-2018, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ejs4029

Here is a map to give you an idea of the Sales Tax rates. Please see additional Note

I know that map is an average, but the only reason Louisiana is not the highest is because our state sales tax just went down recently due to an expiring part. It was 5.00 but is now 4.45.

Combine that with my local of 5.99 and ours at my shop is 10.44% collectively (and was 10.99%).

JohnD10 · 10-27-2018, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CNYCamper

That map is showing a 8.45% rate for New York State. For most of geographic New York the rate is 8.00% (4.00% for the state and 4.00% for the local county). Cities like Rochester, Syracuse and Albany have no city tax so the total rate is 8.00% as well. Total in Buffalo is 8.750% and in New York City the total rate is 8.875%.

I think that I made it clear that local governments CAN add to that if they want.

I never said that they all DO.

However, if they haven't started yet you can bet that they will in the very near future!

The internet is taking sales tax revenue away from the local governments so they will try to recoup their losses somehow.

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