Quote Originally Posted by Daniel Browning


In this case you are mistaken. The seller is only responsible to collect taxes if they have a physical presence (e.g. brick and mortar store) in the same state as the buyer. Of course, many states are trying to get legislation passed to change that (unsuccessfully, so far).



Therefore only people ordering their equipment from a business which also has a brick and mortar store fall under your original statement. Don't mean to nit pick, but youfairly generically stated anyone in California purchasing anything out of state was evading taxes. Most those talking about mail order have not stated where they are making their purchases. Ifsomeone in Cali is ordering from someone like B&H(a New York store) they are doing nothing wrong.


I'm in Washington, but I can't think of any company that is in my own state that I would end up mail ordering something from other than Amazon (and they are kind of an exception as they ONLY do mail order). An interesting question might be: If someone in Cali is ordering something from Amazon and Amazon is re-sellingit from a retailer in Cali... what are the legal responsibilities? Heh


Having to pay tax on orders from a business which has stores in your state I can see having to pay tax on, but the efforts to try and make people pay taxes on mail order purchases made from companies in other states is going too far. What happens if you WALK IN to Camera store in south Oregon buy a lens, then drivehome to northern Cali? Are they going to make you start paying taxes on that too? I don't see that they have any right to attempt to collect taxes on purchases like that.