09-28-2006, 11:22 PM

hey im getting my first mac (macbook 2gh white.)

well im actually waiting for core 2 duo but looking ahead.

anyway anyone know of places online that you dont have to pay tax? besides ebay? thanks.

=D

09-28-2006, 11:28 PM

Check Amazon....

They usually have $50 to $100 rebates as well... The only down side IMO is no BTO options...

09-29-2006, 10:29 AM

Macmall but they don't do returns.

09-29-2006, 11:50 AM

If you live in a tax free state, then you shouldn't have to pay it.
Otherwise, there really isn't too much you can do to avoid it... death and taxes and all.
Remember, the retailers don't make you pay the tax nor do they get any of that as "profit", your local and state government does.

09-30-2006, 04:34 AM

unless you're in New Hampshire or Pennsylvania, you're supposed to report your purchase on your W2 and pay your tax accordingly

10-01-2006, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by l4t13

know of places online that you dont have to pay tax? besides ebay? thanks.

The rule is if the place you're buying from has a physical location in your state they are required to charge sales tax. So buy from an on-line vendor that you know is not located in your state.

Alternately Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon are the five states that currently do not impose general sales taxes at the state level.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...hout_sales_tax

10-01-2006, 09:57 PM

For Apple products the price even with tax is pretty on par with what resellers charge even without tax. Only place I have seen different is Ebay but then you get tagged with shipping charges so it is catch-22. Little stuff I get directly from Amazon (not when they play middle man for sellers) if they carry it.

10-01-2006, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by sursuciofla

For Apple products the price even with tax is pretty on par with what resellers charge even without tax. Only place I have seen different is Ebay but then you get tagged with shipping charges so it is catch-22. Little stuff I get directly from Amazon (not when they play middle man for sellers) if they carry it.

i bought my macbook from amazon a couple weeks ago. and i even got a 100$ off rebate. i did it online and it was a breeze. i highly recommend to anyone to try them if they are looking to order a macbook without any tax.

10-01-2006, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by sursuciofla

For Apple products the price even with tax is pretty on par with what resellers charge even without tax.

:black:
That is because the simple fact is... tax must be paid in states that require it. Just because the reseller doesn't directly "charge" you the tax as a separate line charge, the tax still must be paid. What some resellers do to offset this is either add the average or the highest state tax amount to the cost of each item. On your receipt there is not a "line" for tax, so it would appear that you didn't pay tax when in fact you have. The only difference is that since there is not a line for it, they can say that they never charged tax. That way, a buyer is none the wiser and the retailer still has the correct tax amount added to the sale so they can deduct that amount and report it to the proper state tax office.


:black:

10-01-2006, 11:16 PM

Exactly, that's what I was getting at. Student discount usually offsets any kind of rebate resellers offer as well. Basically the only reason I didn't go for reseller last time I bought. Just like you pay for R&D and advertising in the final product that you purchase the costs are always there. I don't really think anyone is really ignorant to that fact.

10-01-2006, 11:42 PM

Originally Posted by D3v1L80Y

:black:
That is because the simple fact is... tax must be paid in states that require it.

That's simply not true. States don't [YET] have the authority to collect tax for items purchased in other states.

http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/r-art...t_who_doesnt-i

10-02-2006, 01:02 AM

Originally Posted by MacWannabe

That's simply not true. States don't [YET] have the authority to collect tax for items purchased in other states.

http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/r-art...t_who_doesnt-i

But when you buy it online, you are purchasing it in your home state. If your state collects tax, the tax is still required to be paid.
From your own link:

Consumers who live in a state that collects sales tax are technically required to pay the tax to the state even when an Internet retailer doesn't collect it

:black:
I never said that all retailers add on to the selling price, I only stated that some of them do and then turn over the tax to the state later. Whether the retailer charges you or pays the tax themselves, it doesn't change the fact that taxes still must be paid. If the rare occasion arises where the retailer won't charge tax, you the buyer are required to pay it yourself. On the even rarer occasion that the state would audit you and find that taxes weren't paid, you are technically guilty of tax evasion.

10-02-2006, 01:51 AM

Originally Posted by D3v1L80Y

Whether the retailer charges you or pays the tax themselves, it doesn't change the fact that taxes still must be paid.

That is incorrect. If a company does not have a physical presence in your state there is no sales tax due and the retailer is not obligated to collect (or charge) any tax. While it's true there are some states that still believe they should be paid it's very much a gray area.

Laptops are one of the best items to buy on-line as you can almost always avoid paying tax and shipping is inexpensive enough not to eat up the savings.

10-02-2006, 02:05 AM

Originally Posted by MacWannabe

That is incorrect. If a company does not have a physical presence in your state there is no sales tax due and no retailer is obligated to collect tax for your state.

I never said that the retailer was obligated to collect the tax.
:black:
What I did say was that the tax is due on a sale when the state has a sales tax.
In that case when a retailer doesn't collect it, technically the buyer is still responsible to pay the tax. This is exactly what is stated in the article you linked to and what I quoted from that article.
:black:
In most cases however, and as the article also mentions, states won't bother to check every purchase so if you the buyer doesn't report the sale and pay the tax you will likely get away without paying it.

10-02-2006, 02:10 AM

Originally Posted by D3v1L80Y

I never said that the retailer was obligated to collect the tax.

Well you said they "must" pay it ("tax must be paid in states that require it") and that's really not the case is it? In fact, it's rarely if ever paid.