Same here, the price for consumer products includes VAT. The only exception is "professional" products and services, where the ad/tag clearly says that the price does not include VAT.

 

So, help me to understand the following thing about prices:

Assume that I have gone to the store to purchase gasoline, or diesel, or what have you. On the big fancy sign, and perhaps the pump itself, a display will tell me the cost of the product that day. The same is true of any gas station in the country--be it in CA or VA. All of them will tell me, the price of the product, today, at this location is $4.01^9/10.

And, as consumers, we understand that this is the "total" price of the product, and that sales tax and federal exercises have already been added to that amount at the register. So a product which is advertized as costing $4.01^9/10 actually winds up $4.01^9/10, and we just accept this as normal.

This seems to apply to pretty much every gasoline product in existence for which tax is charged. Gasoline, Diesel, and on and on. Everything is $X.xx^9/10, that day at that location (tax included).

Except every other product in the world.

What's up with that?



I'm too bored to keep this up...

 

That's why I just buy **** online. No taxes. Amazon Prime FTW!

**** I better keep track of it this year though, since I bought a house I'm probably getting audited next year.

 

67%er.

 

a house purchase wont get you audited.

also: amazon may charge tax some places soon. or not soon if those rumors are just idle threats.

 

it still doesnt make any sense to pay for state sales taxes for items purchased outside the state, or from a vendor operating inside a different state.

When I buy things in MD, I pay MD sales taxes, why would that change if I buy an item online?

 

What if I bought it cash?

 

In small bills?

 

Can someone tell me why I don't need this light for my pit-bike?

 

Hmm. $1500 for a 1999 with a cracked block. I'd be tempted at about half the price.

1999 Mazda Miata

 

They're fixing that.


This has always been the law, most people have just ignored it. It's called Use Tax, and has historically been the responsibility of the purchaser to self-report. But since self-reporting has been low, they're modifying it such that the vendors collect and remit the tax just like it is with purchases at traditional brick-n-mortar stores.




You're required to file a notice with the IRS for all cash transactions which total in excess of $10,000 over one calender year with a given party. And you can't skirt this, because the banks themselves are also required to report said transactions under the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970.

It's not illegal to use cash for said transactions, you just have to report it so that the Federal government can open a file you on as a suspected money launderer. The penalties for deliberately evading filing are somewhat harsh. (This is about one step removed from RICO so far as the Fed is concerned.)




I don't follow.



Hmm. Seems like in the UK I see a lot of stuff advertized ex. VAT.

But even at that, I'm willing to call this a North American phenomenon and continue to ask why. How on earth did we evolve this specific and peculiar phenomenon whereby we advertize *everything* exclusive of tax, except for gasoline?

 

Yeah, I know they required it to be a wire transfer for RICO reasons, since all wires over 10k are double checked or something.

My friends dad bought his house cash, and he said he got audited. I was under the impression that this is probably a normal thing. Make a large cash transaction = get audited. However, in my case I paid only 4k more than the average 2013 car, so I may get away with one there.

It's called freedom. The gubmint can't tell me what to put on my price tags!

 

Someone listen to Planet Money this morning?

I do believe it has to do with the fact that it's a Federal tax, not just a state or municipal tax.

See above. I think the reason they can tell petrol providers what to put on the price tag is because the Federal government is the big boss.

 

Despite the legal hurdles, I do plan to do precisely this if I ever find myself in the position of purchasing a house (or a new, expensive car.) Literally walk in with an aluminum-sided briefcase filled with money.



That's my point! It seems to me that gasoline sellers would want to advertize their product in the same way as everyone else- exclusive of tax.

Why don't they?

 

No radio on my bike yet.



Looking at CA, for Feb of 2012, $0.45 was state and local sales/excise tax, and $0.18 was fed tax.

So package in the fed tax, and drop the state / local tax like every other retailer.

Clear there must be *some* reason why this doesn't take place. I want to know why.

 

I need more income tax deductions for next year. I think I will get some dependents.

 

You may be better off mortgaging a house, if you don't already have one (and can find one at a reasonable valuation in an attractive neighborhood). I encourage intelligent, reasonable people that want children to breed to make up for those of us that don't. But if you think the tax deductions will make up for the expenses, you're probably going to be unpleasantly surprised.

Unless you breed pro athletes or something.

 

Even our mortgage plus a few other itemized deductions didn't put us over the standard deduction. Of course, I work in an independent bookstore so I make no money.

 

Ugh...someone just contacted me about the SS road bike I have for sale. Now I have to decide whether I really want to sell it.

 

Every time I get sad that I won't get a big deduction for mortgage interest, I remember that I don't have a mortgage, and that makes me happy.

Sorry now that I read it that's totally a humble brag.